'm^ 


THE 

CHILDREN'S    PREACHER 


THE 


Children's    Preacher 


A   YEAR'S    ADDRESSES    AND    PARABLES 
FOR    THE    YOUNG. 


/ 


REV.    J.    REID    HOWATT, 


AUTHOR   OF 


'the  churchette,"  "the  children's  pulpit,"  "the  children's 

PEW,"  "the  children's  prayer  book,"  "after  hours," 

"life  with  a  purpose,"  etc.,  etc. 


feto   for&: 

THOMAS     VVHITTAKER, 

2  AND  3  BIBLE  HOUSE. 

1897. 


^0 

W.    P.    TRELOAR,    Esq., 

"the  children's  alderman," 

^itb  many  a  frientily  memory  of  old  times  and  new, 

I  respectfully  dedicate 

this  other  booh  tor  the  bairns. 


PREFACE 

Ten  years  ago  I  ventured,  with  diffidence,  to  lay 
the  foundation  of  a  children's  cathedral,  by  "The 
Churchette."  The  encouragement  given  to  this  led 
to  its  being  followed  by  "The  Children's  Angel,"  as 
a  kind  of  guardian.  "The  Children's  Pulpit"  was 
next  reared,  and  afterwards  "  The  Children's  Pew ; " 
so  that  with  the  present  volume,  "The  Children's 
Preacher,"  all  the  requirements  for  a  Children's  Sanc- 
tuary are  fairly  met,  if  He,  without  Whose  presence 
there  can  be  no  Church,  will  graciously  vouchsafe  to 
let  the  light  of  His  glory  fall  upon  all.  Again,  too,  I 
have  to  express  my  deep  indebtedness  for  permission 
to  reproduce  what  originally  appeared  in  Hie  Home 
Messenger,  Sunday  Magazine,  The  New  Age,  and  other 
periodicals. 

How  the  work  of  ministering  to  the  young  has 
advanced  in  these  ten  years !  It  is  only  twice  that 
term  since  "  a  word  to  the  children "  came  to  be 
seriously  regarded  as  a  part  of  the  weekly  service, 
but  they  were  few  who  then  regularly  availed  them- 
selves of  the  opportunity.  If  now,  however,  there  are 
any  who,  while  feeding  the  sheep,  feel  that  the  lambs 


PREFACE 


are  beyond  them,  no  one  mourns  the  circumstance 
more  than  they  do  themselves.  Many  of  these  are  the 
very  best  of  men,  with  biggest  love  for  bairns  in  their 
hearts,  but  some  early  failures  in  speaking  to  the 
children  have  made  them  shy  of  attempting  the  work 
again.  I  have  cause  to  sympathise  with  all  such,  and 
to  help  them  if  I  can.  I  shiver  still  at  the  recollection 
of  my  first  attempts;  they  were  dictatorial,  if  not 
pragmatic,  with  the  suggestion  of  chalk  and  a  black- 
board being  somewhere  on  the  premises ;  or  else  they 
were  simply  silly !  I  believe  I  would  have  abandoned 
this  part  of  my  work  altogether  but  for  the  help  I 
got  from  two  simple  rules.  One  was — See  all  things 
from  a  child's  height.  He  sees  the  under  side  of 
the  leaves  where  you  see  the  upper;  what  is  to  you 
but  a  hole  in  a  bank  is  to  him  a  cave.  This  has  been 
one  of  the  best  helps  I  have  had,  both  for  under- 
standing children  and  for  keeping  the  child  alive  in 
my  own  breast.  The  other  rule  was — Resolutely  ignore 
the  presence  of  the  old  folk  ivhen  you  are  dealing  with 
children.  See,  think  of,  feel  that  young  ones,  and 
young  ones  only,  are  round  you,  and  you  will  smile, 
be  at  ease,  and  hold  the  children,  as  you  know  very 
well  how  to  do  when  you  have  gathered  two  or  three 
about  your  knee.  For  the  rest,  be  less  particular 
about  the  words  you  use  than  about  the  impression 
you  are  making.  Children  are  not  stylists,  but  they 
are  quick  to  catch  the  drift  of  your  meaning  even 
though  this  word  or  that  should,  of  itself,  be  out  of 


PREFACE 


their  depth.  Let  any  one  sail  out  on  this  tack  for  a 
month  or  two,  and  he  will  find  the  joy  of  the  most 
pleasing  part  of  our  ministry. 

That  this  may  help  all  who  seek  to  help  the  little 
ones  to  the  Good  Shepherd,  and  that  by  it  many 
young  ones  may  be  led  to  the  Lord  and  be  directed 
on  the  daily  way,  is  my  humble  prayer. 

J.  R.  H. 

Camberwell,  June  i8,  1896. 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

The  Wise  Knight i 

II 

^The  Tent,  the  Altar,  and  the  Well  ....        4 

"  And  he  builded  an  altar  there,  and  called  upon  the  name 
of  the  Lord,  and  pitched  his  tent  there :  and  there  Isaac's 
servants  digged  a  well." — Gen.  xxvi.  25. 

Ill 

Betwixt  and  Between 9 

*'  He  was  more  honourable  than  the  thirty,  but  he  attained 
not  to  the  first  three." — 2  Sam.  xxiii.  23. 

IV 

A  Stirring  Story 14 

"Christ  died  for  us." — ROJI.  v.  8. 

V 

The  Sword  of  Love 16 

"My  sword  shall  be  bathed  in  heaven."— IsA.  xxxiv.  5. 

VI 
A  Tough  Fight 20 


"  He  went  down  and  slew  a  lion  in  a  pit  in  a  snowy  day. 
— I  Chron.  xi.  22. 


xii  CONTENTS 


VII 

PAGE 

The  Ambulance  Corps 24 

"  A  young  man  of  Egypt." — i  Sam.  xxx.  13. 

VIII 
^   The  Ferry  Boat 29 

"  And  there  went  over  a  fei'ry  boat  to  carry  over  the  king's 
household,  and  to  do  what  he  thought  good." — 2  Sam. 
xix.  18. 

IX 

Heaven's  Gate 32 

"This  is  the  gate  of  heaven." — Gen.  xxviii.  17. 

X 

Our  Proper  Place 36 

"  It  shall  be  given  to  them  for  whom  it  is  prepared." — Mark 
X.  40. 

XI 

Our  Home  Abroad 40 

XII 

Breaking  the  Spell         .        .        .        .        .        .         "42 

"The  great  trumpet  shall  be  blown." — Isa.  xxvii.  13. 

XIII 
Child-Vision 47 

"Thou  hast  liid  these  things  from  the  wise  and  prudent, 
and  hast  revealed  them  unto  babes."— Matt.  xi.  25. 

XIV 
Clear  thk  Line! 51 

"  Seek  ye  first." — Matt.  vi.  33. 


CONTENTS 


XV 

PAGE 

Against  the  Stream 57 

"So  did  not  I,  because  of  the  fear  of  the  Lord." — Neh, 

V.  15. 


XVI 

In  their  Right  Order    . 


"  The  child  Samuel  ministered  unto  the  Lord  before  Eli." 
—I  Sam.  iii.  i. 

XVII 
So  Tired  ! 65 

"Jesus,  being  wearied  with  His  journey,  sat  thus  on  the 
well." — John  iv.  6. 

XVIII 
The  Winding  Way 69 

"  They  went  up  with  winding  stairs." — i  KlXGS  vi.  8. 

XIX 

Hoping  and  Waiting 75 

"It  is  good  that  a  man  should  both  hope  and  quietly  wait 
for  the  salvation  of  the  Lord." — Lam.  iii.  26. 

XX 

The  Magic  Crystal 80 

"Now  we  see  through  a  glass,  darkly;   but  then  face  to 
face." — I  Cor.  xiii.  12. 

XXI 

Spring-time 84 

"The  flowers  appear  on  the  earth."— Song  of  Sol,  ii.  12. 


CONTENTS 


XXII 

i  '  Sowing  and  Heaping 


"A  sower  went  forth  to  sow."— Matt.  xiii.  3. 

XXIII 

You  and  I  AND  Everybody 90 

"  A  wise  man's  heart  is  at  his  right  hand  :  but  a  fool's  heart 
at  his  left."— EccLES.  x.  2. 

XXIV 

Giving  and  Getting 94 

"All  things  come  of  Thee,  and  of  Thine  own  have  we  given 
Thee."— I  Chron.  xxix.  14. 

XXV 

Lamp  and  Oil 96 

"  They  that  were  foolish  took  their  lamps,  and  took  no  oil 
with  them.  But  the  wise  took  oil  in  their  vessels  with 
their  lamps." — Matt.  xxv.  3,  4. 

XXVT 

A  Question  op  Taste loi 

"Is  there  any  taste  in  the  white  of  an  egg?" — Job  vi.  6. 

XXVII 

A  Narrow  Escape 107 

"Be  ye  thankful."— CoL.  iii.  15. 

XXVIII 

Room  and  Power  to  Let no 

"  I  am  not  ashamed  of  the  gospel  of  Christ :  for  it  is  the 
power  of  God  unto  salvation,  to  every  one  that  be- 
lieveth."— Rom.  i.  16. 


CONTENTS  XV 

XXIX 

PAGE 

A  Talk  about  Tongues 119 

XXX 

Answers  to  Prayers 123 

"  And  all  the  devils  besought  Him,  saying,  Send  us  into  the 

swine." 
"  And  they  began  to  pray  Him  to  depart  out  of  their  coasts. " 
"  He  .  .  .  prayed  Him  that  he  might  be  with  Hira. " — 

Mahk  V,  12,  17,  18. 

XXXI 

Sweeter  than  Honey 128 

"The  law  of  kindness." — Prov.  xxxi.  26. 

XXXII 

Dry  Sticks 1^7 

"Lay  my  statf  upon  the  face  of  the  child."— 2  Kings  iv.  29. 

XXXIII 

Crown  Rights 141 

"  As  we  have,  therefore,  opportunity,  let  us  do  good  unto 
all." — Gal.  vi.  10. 

XXXIV 
"Brakes  Down!" 147 

"Slow  to  speak." — James  i.  19. 

XXXV 

Big-Hearted .152 

"  Who  is  my  neighbour? " — Luke  x,  29. 


xvi  CONTENTS 

XXXVI 

PAGE 

MuLTUM  IN  Parvo 154 

"Even  a  child  is  known  by  his  doings." — Piiov.  xx.  ii. 

XXXVII 

Pilot  Wanted! 158 

"Made  shiiiwreck." — i  Tim.  i.  19. 

XXXVIII 

The  Kind  Heart      .         . 162 

' '  Thou  shalt  not  see  thy  brother's  ox  or  his  sheep  go  astray, 
and  hide  thyself  from  them  :  thou  shalt  in  any  case 
bring  them  again  unto  thy  brother." — Deut.  xxii.  i. 

XXXIX 

Inward  Riches 165 

"Goodly  pearls." — Matt.  xiii.  45. 

XL 

Monkey  Tricks 170 

"  Apes."— I  Kings  x.  22. 

XLI 

Big  and  Little 175 

"Some  great  thing." — 2  Kings  v.  13. 

XLII 
Building 180 

"Stone  made  ready  befoi-e  it  was  brought  thither." — i  KlNGS 
vi.  7. 


CONTENTS 


XLTII 

PAGE 

Not  too  Particular 185 

"Where  no  oxen  are,  the  crib  is  clean." — Piiov.  xiv.  4. 


XLIV 

The  Tempter 190 

"Again  there  was  a  day  when  the  sons  of  God  came  to  pre- 
sent themselves  before  the  Lord,  and  Satan  came  also 
among  them,  to  present  himself  before  the  Lord.  And 
the  Lord  said  unto  Satan,  From  whence  comest  thou? 
And  Satan  answered  the  Lord,  and  said,  From  going  to 
and  fro  in  the  earth,  and  from  walking  up  and  down  in 
it."— Job  ii.  i,  2. 

XLV 

Neat  Knots 194 

"Sins  that  are  past." — Rom.  iii.  25. 

XLVI 
The  Scent  of  Life 197 

"In  the  Spirit." — Rev,  i,  lo. 

XLVII 

Open  Secrets 202 

"Dark  sayings." — Ps.  Ixxviii.  2. 

XLVIII 
How  to  Begin  the  Day 207 

"It  is  a  good  thing  to  give  thanks  unto  the  Lord,  and  to 
sing  praises  unto  Thy  name,  O  most  High  :  to  show 
forth  Thy  lovingkindness  in  the  morning,  and  Thy 
faithfulness  every  night." — Ps.  xcii.  i,  2. 


xviii  CONTENTS 

XLIX 

PAGE 

Don't  grow  Old 209 

L 

"When  He  cometh" 213 

' '  They  shall  be  Mine,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts,  in  that  day 
when  I  make  up  My  jewels." — Mal.  iii.  17. 

LI 
An  Improbable  Story 217 

Lll 

Dicky  Boy 221 

"The  star,  which  they  saw  in  the  east,  went  before  them, 
till  it  came  and  stood  over  where  the  young  child  was." 
—Matt.  ii.  9. 

LIII 

A  New  Start ,  .    233 


THE 

CHILDREN'S    PREACHER 


THE   WISE  KNIGHT 

He  was  a  good  and  noble  King,  who  loved  the  right 
and  hated  evil.  A  great  sorrow  lay  on  his  heart  as  he 
looked  on  many  of  his  subjects  and  saw  how  they  lived. 
He  had  spoken  to  them,  and  tried  to  make  them  better, 
but  they  soon  forgot  what  he  said. 

"  How  can  I  make  them  to  know  ? "  he  asked,  half 
to  himself,  and  half  to  the  courtiers  who  were  round 
him,  as  he  looked  from  the  palace  window  over  the 
city  and  the  gardens,  and  the  far-stretching  plains 
beyond.  "  I  have  given  them  good  laws ;  I  have 
protected  their  fields ;  they  have  had  peace  ;  but  how 
many  of  them  are  living  for  themselves  alone,  and 
their  eyes  never  go  up  to  God !  How  can  I  make 
them  understand  ?" 

He  was  lost  in  reverie,  till   some   movement  made 

him  look  down  •  and  there,  bending  low  before  him,  a 

A 


THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 


figure  knelt,  covered  and  shrouded  with  gossamer  gauze 
that  floated  dark  but  soft  as  a  cloud  about  him.  He 
was  the  Wise  Knight,  who  had  come  from  a  foreign 
land ;  he  loved  the  King,  and  was  faithful  to  him,  and 
the  King  knew  him  to  be  good  and  true. 

"  Speak,"  said  the  King,  looking  kindly  down ;  and 
the  Knight  lifted  his  face,  so  dark,  but  beautiful  be- 
yond the  power  of  tongue  to  tell,  and  his  eyes  were 
like  homes  of  pity. 

"  By  the  Shadow,  my  liege,"  he  said,  "  by  the 
Shadow." 

Then  the  King  bade  him  stand,  and  they  talked  in 
low  tones,  looking  out  on  the  city  and  fields  at  times, 
and  pointing  here  and  there. 

Then  the  Knight  from  the  foreign  land  drew  the 
filmy  cloud  of  the  dark  gossamer  round  him  till  his  face 
was  hidden,  and  softly  glided  away. 

But  the  King  kept  watch  from  the  palace  window. 
It  was  a  glorious  day ;  the  sun  was  scattering  gold 
everywhere,  and  the  soft  breeze  was  kind.     Men  and 
women  and  little  children,  with  work  and  play,  were 
making  the  music  to  which  the  world  rolls  on. 

And  the  Shadow  moved  among  them :  the  Shadow 
of  a  cloud.  It  moved  on  and  on,  and  nothing  could 
keep  it  back.  It  stepped  lightly  over  the  loftiest  walls  ; 
it  went  dry-footed  through  the  streams;  it  walked 
from  top  to  top  of  the  trees,  yet  never  a  leaf  bent 
under  its  weight. 

It  fell  on  a  man  who  had  hate  in  his  heart,  and  bit 


THE  WISE  KNIGHT 


by  bit  the  hate  passed  away,  and  a  strange  peace 
came. 

It  fell  on  a  woman  as  the  eye  of  a  serpent  was  fixed 
upon  her,  and  was  drawing  her  closer  and  closer  ;  and 
in  the  Shadow  the  jewelled  eye  grew  dull :  she  saw  the 
serpent  and  escaped. 

It  fell  on  a  man  who  was  gathering  stones  to  add  to 
the  height  of  a  great  house  he  was  building ;  and  the 
house  seemed  strange  with  the  Shadow  on  it :  it  looked 
like  a  tomb ;  and  the  man  knelt  and  prayed  a  prayer  he 
had  forgotten  for  many  a  year. 

It  fell  on  a  poor  convict  labouring  in  the  field  with 
a  chain  on  his  ankles,  and  he  wiped  his  brow,  his  face 
grew  beautiful,  and  he  lifted  his  eyes  to  God. 

So  the  Shadow  passed  from  field  to  field,  and  house 
to  house,  and  land  to  land,  and  wherever  it  fell  there 
was  chill  and  fear,  but  when  it  was  gone  there  came 
quiet  and  blessing,  and  every  fountain  was  made  fresher, 
every  flower  was  made  fairer,  every  soul  was  made  better, 
for  the  touch  of  the  Shadow. 

Can  you  read  the  riddle  ? 

The  Knight  is  Suffering :  his  King  is  God :  his  work 


is — Love. 


/-SkS 


II 

THE  TENT,  THE  ALTAR,  AND  THE   WELL 

"  And  he  builded  an  altar  there,  and  called  upon  the  name  of  the 
Lord,  and  pitched  his  tent  there  :  and  there  Isaac's  servants  digged 
a  well." — Gen.  xxvi.  25. 

This  is  all  about  Isaac — the  kind  of  man  he  was,  and 
the  kind  of  thing  he  did.  But  it  is  also  all  about  you, 
and  me,  and  everybody.  How  ?  Well,  we  must  lind 
that  out. 

If  I  were  asked  to  draw  a  picture  which  would  be 
like  a  book  for  showing  everybody  what  he  was  like, 
and  what  he  should  be,  and  what  he  should  do,  this  is 
the  picture  I  would  draw — a  tent,  an  altar,  and  a  well. 
In  these  three  things,  and  what  they  mean,  you  have 
everything  that  is  needed  to  make  your  life  be  right, 
and  perfect,  and  good. 

The  Tent. — You  know  what  it  is  like — a  rough 
thing  made  of  canvas  or  of  skins,  which  soon  gets 
stained  with  the  weather,  and,  however  dainty  it 
may  have  been  at  the  first,  before  very  long  needs 
patching  here  and  mending  there,  and  propping  up 
somewhere  else. 

Would  you  wish  to  live  in  a  tent  ?     You  don't  need 


THE  TENT,  THE  ALTAR,  AND  THE   WELL        5 

to  wish  for  it ;  you  have  got  your  wish  already.  You 
are  living  in  a  tent  now  !  Yes ;  your  body  is  only  a 
tent.  It  is  nothing  more — nothing  !  Yo2C  are  not  your 
body,  any  more  than  the  person  inside  the  tent  is  the 
tent.  You  yourself  are  something  very  different  from 
the  body.  Why,  the  body  is  always  being  changed, 
being  worn  away,  and  patched,  and  mended,  so  that 
in  a  very  few  months  there  isn't  a  single  bit  left  of 
the  body  that  was  there  some  months  before. 

But  what  about  you — you  yourself — the  real  boy 
or  the  real  girl  inside  this  tent?  You  haven't  been 
rubbed  away  in  that  fashion,  have  you  ?  You  can 
still  remember  things  that  happened  years  ago,  and 
the  lessons  you  learnt  when  first  you  went  to  school 
you  have  kept  still.  The  tent,  you  see,  is  always 
being  patched  and  mended,  till  there  isn't  a  bit  of 
the  old  canvas  left  after  a  time,  and  then  gets  patched 
and  mended  again  and  yet  again ;  but  you  yourself, 
you  remain  in  the  midst  of  it  all,  like  the  one  who 
dwells  in  the  tent  but  isn't  at  all  a  part  of  the  tent 
himself. 

Yes,  children,  we  all  dwell  in  tents,  just  like  Isaac, 
and  the  tent  is  always  changing,  changing — changing 
in  itself,  changing  in  its  place  ;  sometimes  it  is  nearly 
blown  down  with  sickness,  sometimes  it  is  beautiful 
and  comfortable  with  health,  sometimes  it  is  pitched 
where  the  grass  is  green,  sometimes  it  is  pitched 
where  there  is  only  a  weary  wilderness  round  us; 
but  at  last — at  last — the  tent  is  broken  up  and  cast 


THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 


down,  and  we  have  to  come  out.  And  we  call  tLat 
death.  Death  is  just  the  complete  casting  down  of 
the  tent,  so  that  we  must  stej)  out.  After  that  the 
journeying  is  over,  the  tent  is  not  needed,  we  shall 
live  without  the  body.  It  was  only  a  tent  for  the 
soul  for  a  time ;  it  is  the  soul  that  is  the  real  boy 
or  girl,  man  or  woman,  within  the  tent. 

Then  what  about  that  time — when  the  soul  must 
step  out  ?  Where  is  it  to  go  ?  It  must  go  some- 
where. Which  direction  shall  it  take — up  or  down  ? 
to  the  light  and  to  gladness,  or  to  the  darkness  and 
sorrow  ?  Ah !  there  is  no  need  to  ask ;  we  should 
all  want  it  to  turn  to  the  light  and  the  gladness,  and 
have  a  sweet,  kind  home  with  God.  Then,  if  we 
would  find  that  at  the  last,  it  is  now — while  we  are 
yet  in  the  tent — yet  in  the  body — we  must  learn  the 
way.     It  is  by — 

The  Altar. — The  altar  means  prayer,  means  wor- 
ship, means  praise,  means  faith — means  whatever  brings 
and  keeps  us  near  to  God.  And  so  Jesus  is  called 
our  Altar  because  it  is  through  Him  only  we  can 
learn  about  God,  and  learn  how  to  make  sure  of  the 
right  road  when  the  tent  is  thrown  down  at  last  and 
we  have  to  step  out. 

Just  think  of  it !  Here  we  are — a  regular  encamp- 
ment— so  many  tents  that  are  called  bodies ;  and  yet 
inside  every  one  of  these  there  is  a  soul  that  is  going 
one  day  to  step  out  free  from  the  body  altogether, 
and  is  going  to  live  for  ever  and  ever !     It  is  a  curious 


THE  TENT,  THE  ALTAR,  AND  THE   WELL        7 

thing  to  think  about,  is  it  not  ?  Sometimes  the  Arabs 
will  remain  a  long  time  in  the  same  place,  dwelling 
in  their  tents,  but  suddenly  the  tents  will  all  be  struck 
and  the  people  will  move  swiftly  away.  But  there 
will  be  no  confusion,  no  cries,  no  fears.  They  know 
where  they  are  going,  and  they  know  the  way  ;  they 
have  been  learning  about  that  while  their  tents  were 
still  standing;  and  so,  when  the  word  comes,  they 
are  ready  to  depart.  They  have  learnt  the  way  they 
should  take. 

Shouldn't  we  do  the  same  ?     We  should. 

"  Where's  your  master  gone  ?  "  a  gentleman  asked  a 
negro  once. 

"Don't  know,  sah,"  said  the  negro;  "but  he's 
dead." 

"  Dead  ?  I  didn't  know  of  it.  Has  he  gone  to 
heaven  ? " 

"  I  don't  think  so,  sah,"  said  the  dark  servant ;  "he 
hadn't  made  no  preparations.  When  he  was  going 
away  to  Saratoga,  or  New  York,  or  anywhere  else,  he 
was  always  gettiu'  things  ready  beforehand,  and  gettin' 
them  marked ;  but  I  never  heard  him  speak  about 
heaven,  or  about  gettin'  ready  for  going  there." 

Children,  do  not  you  be  so  foolish.  Get  ready,  and 
get  ready  now.  Wherever  the  tent  is,  set  up  the  altar 
there  too.  Wherever  you  are  and  whatever  you  do, 
keep  close  touch  with  Jesus.  He  alone  can  teach  you, 
and  help  you,  and  make  you  ready  against  the  time 
when  the  tent  must  be  cast  down  and  you  must  go  out. 


THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 


The  tent  and  the  altar,  the  altar  and  the  tent — let  these 
two  always  go  together. 

But  what  about — 

The  Well  ? — Dig  one  somewhere,  somehow.  You 
can  do  it.  Every  deed  of  kindness  you  do,  every  loving 
word  you  speak,  everything — everything  which  helps 
somebody  else  to  be  better,  or  happier,  or  brighter — is 
widening  and  widening  a  little  fountain  of  love  till  it 
becomes  like  a  well,  where  thirsty  lips  and  dry,  parched 
hearts  can  be  cheered  and  helped  upon  their  way. 
Love  never  fails ;  no,  never !  The  tent  goes  away,  the 
moss  may  grow  over  the  altar  and  hide  it,  but  the  well 
: — ah !  that  will  go  sparkling  on  and  on,  and  bird  and 
beast,  and  man  and  child,  will  be  blessed  by  it,  even 
when  your  name  is  forgotten.  Dig  a  well  somewhere, 
somehow,  before  your  soul  steps  out  of  its  tent ;  do 
something  good,  something  kind,  something  noble, 
which  shall  remain  after  you  have  gone. 

Here,  then,  as  I  said,  are  the  three  things  that  should 
make  a  perfect  life.  The  tent — that  is  for  yourselves  ; 
the  altar — that  is  for  God ;  the  well — that  is  for  those 
around  us,  and  those  who  shall  come  after  us.  The 
tent  is  for  now ;  the  altar  is  for  hereafter ;  the  well  is 
for  hereafter  and  now  both.  Love  to  God  — that  is  the 
altar ;  love  to  man — that  is  the  well ;  and  no  one  can 
ever  say  he  loves  God  unless  he  loves  man  too.  So, 
children,  as  long  as  you  are  in  the  tent,  keep  by  the 
altar  and  dig  a  well.  Yours  will  then  be  the  perfect 
life. 


Ill 

BETWIXT  AND  BETWEEN 

"He  was  more  honourable  than  the  thirty,  but  he  attained  not  to 
the  first  three." — 2  Sam.  xxiii.  23. 

David  had  three  Bands  of  brave  and  valiant  soldiers. 
Three  men  made  up  the  First  Band  ;  they  were  ex- 
ceedingly brave  ;  they  had  done  mightier  deeds  than 
all  the  others. 

Three  men  also  made  up  the  Second  Band  ;  they 
had  done  wondrous  things — things  that  make  the  ears 
tingle  still,  only  to  hear  of — but  they  hadn't  done  such 
great  things  as  those  in  the  First  Band. 

There  were  thirty  men  in  the  Third  Band  ;  they  were 
heroes,  every  one  of  them,  and  a  host  in  themselves 
that  could  turn  the  scale  in  any  battle,  but  they  had 
never  done  the  grand  things  the  Second  Band  had 
done,  nor  the  grander  things  that  had  been  done  by  the 
First  Band.  They  were — "  positive,  good  ;  "  the  Second 
Band  was — "comparative,  hetter ;  "  the  First  Band  was 
— ''  superlative,  hest.^' 

Here  was  Benaiah  the  son  of  Jehoiada ;  he  was  the 
first  of  the  three  in  the  Second  Band,  and  so  w^as  their 
captain.     Wasn't  that  a  fine  position  to  have  ? 


THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 


It  all  depends — depends  on  how  he  looked  at  it.  In 
one  way  it  was  a  very  grand  position,  and  one  to  make 
him  very  humble  and  thankful  to  God  for  putting  him 
into  it.  For,  when  he  looked  down — down  on  the  thirty 
brave  men  who  were  beneath  him  in  rank,  down  on 
the  army  of  thousands  that  were  beneath  these  again 
— he  had  cause  to  feel  humble  and  grateful  that  such 
great  honour  should  have  been  put  upon  him. 

But  when  he  looked  up — up  to  the  three  mighty 
heroes  who  were  above  him,  and  who  stood  there  far 
nearer  the  king — he  must  have  felt  his  position  to  be 
very  tantalising.  He  was  so  near  to  the  top,  and  yet 
wasn't  there ! 

So,  you  see,  it  all  depends  which  way  he  looked, 
whether  he  was  happy,  or  whether  he  was  wretched. 

It  is  just  the  same  with  us  all.  We  are  none  of  us 
first,  and  we  are  none  of  us  last.  There  is  always 
somebody  above  us — richer,  wiser,  or  stronger;  but  there 
is  always  somebody  beneath  us  too — poorer,  duller,  or 
weaker.  And  it  all  depends  on  ourselves,  as  it  did  with 
Benaiah,  which  way  we  look  and  Jwiv  we  look,  whether 
we  keep  our  hearts  glad  and  bright,  or  whether  we 
make  them  sad  and  sour. 

It  is  good  to  look  down.  I  know  a  man  who  had 
rheumatism,  and  had  it  badly  enough,  and  he  croaked 
and  croaked  about  it  continually  and  to  everybody, 
till  one  day  he  went  with  me  the  rounds  of  a  hospital ; 
and  when  he  saw  the  great  pain,  the  sickness,  and  the 
suffering  of  the  many,  many  who  were  there,  the  first 


BETWIXT  AND  BETWEEN 


thing  he  said  to  me  as  we  came  out,  was,  "I'll  never 
complain  of  my  rheumatism  again ;  it  is  nothing  to 
what  some  have  to  bear."  And  he  kept  his  word; 
he  stuck  his  teeth  into  the  bullet,  as  it  were,  and  bore 
his  suffering  in  silence,  as  many  a  brave  man  and 
woman  does.  Ah,  yes,  children,  it  is  good  at  times 
to  look  down.  It  is  a  fine  cure  for  the  dumps  to 
go  and  see  how  much  worse  it  is  with  others,  how- 
ever bad  it  may  be  with  ourselves.  That  chases  away 
the  clouds,  and  brings  the  grateful  sunshine  into  the 
heart  again. 

But  it  can  also  be  bad  for  us  to  look  down.  We 
may  let  it  make  us  proud,  and  conceited,  and  vain,  and 
stuck-up.  But  that  is  because  we  forget — forget  God 
and  a  great  deal  besides.  Why  are  others  worse  off 
than  we  are  ?  Maybe  it  is  simply  because  they  never 
had  a  chance.  They  hadn't  such  parents  as  we  had, 
or  such  an  education  given  them,  or  such  opportunities 
of  showing  what  was  in  them.  Be  sure  of  it,  there 
was  many  a  man  in  the  Band  of  Thirty  who  would 
have  done  as  bravely  as  any  of  The  Three  if  he  had 
had  their  chance ;  and  there  are  many  of  those  we 
look  down  upon  who  would  have  done  better  than 
any  of  us  if  only  they  had  had  the  opportunity.  So, 
shame  upon  us  if  we  grow  proud!  shame  upon  us 
if  we  grow  vain  because  we  are  better  than  others ! 
That  shows  we  have  forgotten  God  altogether,  and 
forgotten  to  pity  those  who  have  never  had  our  chance, 
but  are  just  as  good  in  themselves.      Learn  to  look 


THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 


down,  then,  children,  but  learn  to  look  down  with 
love  in  your  eyes,  and  that  will  always  keep  gratitude 
to  God  and  kindness  to  men  in  your  heart. 

But  learn  to  look  up  too.  There  are  times,  to  be 
sure,  when  it  is  bad  to  do  that.  It  is  bad  when  we 
look  on  those  who  are  above  us,  or  are  better  off  than 
we  are,  only  to  envy  them,  and  be  spiteful,  and  grudge 
them  their  honour  because  we  are  not  in  their  place. 
That  is  the  way  to  become  miserable  and  make  others 
miserable  too.  Kem ember,  we  can't  all  be  first.  Do 
you  know  what  makes  an  editor's  life  wretched  ?  It 
is  trying  to  get  every  man's  advertisement  at  the 
top  of  the  column.  He  can't  do  it,  and  gets  haggard 
and  thin  with  trying !  You  see — everybody  can't  be 
in  the  First  Band ;  somebody  must  be  in  the  Second, 
and  a  good  many  more  in  the  Third. 

Then  never  look  up  to  envy,  but  look  up  to  admire 
and  imitate.  If  we  look  down  only,  we  are  apt  to 
grow  conceited  and  lazy  and  satisfied.  But  when  we 
look  up  and  see  what  we  have  not  yet  attained  to, 
but  perhaps  may  still  be  able  to  reach,  then  we  keep 
at  it,  we  go  on  striving  and  learning,  and  keeping  our 
wits  sharp  and  our  hearts  big  and  hopeful.  When 
you  think  you  are  very  good  and  don't  need  to  be 
made  any  better,  it  is  because  you  are  looking  only  on 
the  people  about  you ;  but  when  you  look  up — up  to 
Jesus,  and  see  how  good,  and  pure,  and  kind,  and  loving 
He  is,  then  you  begin  to  feel  very  small,  and  that  is 
the  first  thing  to  spur  you  up  to  be  greater  and  better. 


BETWIXT  AND  BETWEEN 


13 


Whatever  your  position  may  be,  then,  learn  how 
to  look  wisely  both  up  and  down.  That  will  help 
you  to  do  your  duty  where  you  are  and  as  you  are,  and 
that,  at  last — in  heaven  if  not  on  earth — will  bring 
you  into  the  First  Band,  for  they  get  nearest  Christ 
who  do  for  His  sake  whatever  they  can  where  He  has 
put  them. 


IV 

A    STIRRING    STORY 

"  Christ  died  for  us." — Rom.  v.  8. 

There  is  a  fine  tale — just  such  a  tale  as  you  like  to 
hear — told  of  the  old  days  before  there  was  gunpowder, 
and  when  war  was  a  simpler  thing  than  it  is  now.  The 
enemy  came  swooping  down  in  the  darkness  and  sur- 
rounded a  lonely  garrison,  and  hoped  to  shoot  them 
down,  or  starve  them  into  surrendering.  Yet  the 
soldiers  in  the  garrison  had  friends,  strong  friends  and 
many  of  them  ;  only  they  couldn't  tell  them  the  danger 
they  were  in,  or  call  for  their  help,  without  lighting 
the  cresset  fire  which  hung  by  its  chain  high  up,  where 
the  enemy  could  see  the  man  who  tried  to  kindle  it, 
and  would  shoot  him  down  at  the  first  spark  he  made. 
But  if  ever  they  were  to  be  delivered  that  signal  must 
be  made  ;  the  cresset  fire  must  be  kindled. 

One  man  at  length  stepped  forth,  and  said  he  would 
fire  the  beacon.  He  knew  what  it  meant ;  ah,  yes ! 
he  knew  ;  but  he  was  ready,  quite  ready.  He  kneeled 
and  prayed,  then  sprang  to  his  feet,  grasped  the  torch, 
leapt  on  the  ramparts,  and  climbed  to  the  beacon,  while 


A  STIRRING  STORY 


a  shower  of  arrows  came  whizzing  upon  him.  But  the 
beacon  was  fired ;  its  flame  shot  up  like  a  cry  for  help, 
and  their  friends  understood  it  and  marched  to  the 
rescue,  and  drove  back  the  enemy,  and  delivered  the 
garrison. 

But  the  poor  fellow  who  had  kindled  the  beacon, 
where  was  he  ?  Lying  asleep  in  a  soldier's  grave.  He 
had  died  to  save  his  comrades. 

Was  there  a  soldier  of  them  all  who  was  saved  that 
night  who  did  not  love  and  honour  the  man  who  had 
saved  them  ?    No,  not  one. 

And  "  Christ  died  for  us  " — died  for  you,  died  for  me, 
died  for  everybody.  Shouldn't  we  love  Him  ?  shouldn't 
we  praise  Him  ?  shouldn't  we  live  for  Him  ?  Ah,  yes, 
we  should ! 

If  they  could  have  brought  the  dead  soldier  to  life 
again,  wouldn't  they  have  gladly  made  him  their 
captain  ?  They  would ;  and  so  we  should  make  Jesus 
the  Captain  of  our  salvation,  for  He  was  brought  to 
life  again,  and  lives  to  bless  us.  Be  brave,  be  true, 
be  soldier-like,  and  stand  up  for  the  Lord,  who  "died 
for  us." 


THE  SWORD  OF  LOVE 

"  My  sword  shall  be  bathed  in  heaven." — ISA.  xxxiv.  5. 

You  like  to  hear  about  swords;  there  is  something 
so  glittering  and  sharp  about  them  that  they  almost 
magnetise  us,  as  the  eye  of  the  serpent  is  said  to 
magnetise  small  birds.  And  there  are  some  rare 
stories  about  them,  too — from  the  sword  Excalibur 
which  King  Arthur  had,  and  which  was  withdrawn 
at  last  by  the  hand  that  came  out  of  the  lake;  and 
the  sword  of  Scanderbeg,  which  worked  wonders  with 
him,  but  was  useless  in  the  hand  of  any  other  (as  is 
the  way  with  many  gifts  and  powers  in  this  world); 
down  to  the  two-handed  sword  of  Sir  William  Wallace 

there  are  interesting  stories  about  all  of  these  and 

about  many  more,  but  the  sword  which  the  text  speaks 
about  is  the  most  interesting  of  them  all,  for  it  is  the 
sword  of  the  Lord. 

But  we  do  not  like  to  think  of  the  Lord  with  a 
sword  in  His  hand;  we  would  rather  think  of  Him 
with  His  hand  stretched  out  to  heal  and  help.     Yes, 

and  that  is  the  way  He  loves  best  Himself ;  but  there 

16 


THE  SWORD  OF  LOVE  17 

are  times  when  He  must  use  the  sword,  too.  There 
are  sins  that  need  to  be  struck  down,  evils  that  need 
to  be  slain,  and  wickednesses  that  need  to  be  destroyed. 
So  He  must  use  the  sword  at  times,  though  He  would 
rather  peacefully  and  lovingly  sway  the  sceptre  only. 

Do  you  notice,  however,  what  He  says  about  His 
sword?  "It  shall  be  bathed  in  heaven."  This  is  a 
strange  thing  to  say,  but  it  has  a  deep,  deep  meaning. 
What  is  heaven  ?  Is  it  not  the  place  of  pity,  of  love, 
and  mercy  and  goodness  ?  Is  there  any  anger  there, 
or  harshness,  or  hatred,  or  cruelty?  There  is  none. 
It  is  love,  and  love  only,  that  reigns  there  supreme. 

Then  what  does  He  mean  when  He  says  that  His 
sword  shall  be  bathed  in  heaven?  Just  this:  that 
though  the  things  He  does  may  seem  to  us  to  be 
cruel  and  harsh,  yet  there  is  kindness  in  them  after 
all ;  the  sword  that  smites  is  bathed  in  love,  and  when 
love  gives  a  wound  it  is  in  order  to  make  us  better 
when  the  healing  comes. 

Is  not  that  the  way  the  doctor  works  ?  His  lancet 
is  very  keen,  and  he  has  knives  that  are  very  sharp, 
and  he  sometimes  gives  great  pain  as  he  uses  them. 
But  is  he  unkind  ?  Is  he  cruel  ?  No  man  could  be 
kinder,  or  mean  to  be  more  merciful ;  what  he  is 
trying  to  do,  through  all  the  pain  he  is  giving,  is  to 
save  us  from  something  or  other  that  would  pain  us 
far  more  at  last  than  all  the  pain  he  is  giving  us  for  a 
little. 

It  is  so  that  God  has  sometimes  to  give  us  pain — to 

B 


i8  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

use  His  sharp  and  glittering  sword ;  but  that  sword  is 
bathed  in  heaven ;  there  is  love  in  it,  and  it  is  a  loving 
hand  that  is  using  it.  Of  course  there  is  pain,  there 
must  be  pain  for  a  while,  but  the  love  that  goes  with 
God's  sword  brings  its  own  sweetness  and  its  own 
healing  for  the  wound. 

This  is  how  it  is  with  God,  and  it  should  be  the 
same  with  us.  You,  too,  have  a  sword — every  one  of 
you.  It  is  the  tongue.  The  Psalmist  calls  it  a  sharp 
sword,  and  so  at  times  it  is  and  must  be.  So  long  as 
wrong  things  are  done  and  need  to  be  put  right,  so 
long  as  there  is  wickedness  that  needs  to  be  destroyed, 
just  so  long  must  the  tongue  need  to  be  like  a  sword. 
Yes ;  but  what  kind  of  a  sword  ? — one  that  is  bathed  in 
unkindness,  or  one  that  is  bathed  in  love?  The  one 
is  a  bad  tongue,  that  does  evil  even  when  it  is  speaking 
against  evil ;  the  other  is  a  good  tongue,  that  does  good 
even  when  it  gives  pain. 

For  example :  you  know  a  boy  who  has  done  some- 
thing that  is  very  wrong.  Well,  you  may  need  to 
speak  to  him  about  it,  and  that  is  perhaps  all  right. 
But  how  do  you  speak  to  him?  Do  you  only  point 
out  how  wicked  he  has  been,  and  how  much  better 
you  are,  and  say  a  great  many  hard  things  to  him? 
If  that  is  all  you  do,  then  it  is  a  bad  sword  you  are 
using — one  that  is  bathed  in  cruelty,  not  in  kindness. 
The  good  tongue  speaks  the  truth,  but  speaks  it  in 
love ;  it  points  out  the  fault,  not  for  the  sake  of  fault- 
finding, but  for  the  sake  of  doing  good,  of  helping  one 


THE  SWORD  OF  LOVE  19 

who  has  gone  wrong  to  get  right  again  and  not  lose 
heart.  The  bad  sword  never  does  good ;  the  good 
sword  never  does  evil ;  we  may  speak  the  truth,  yet 
be  sinning  while  we  are  speaking,  because  we  are  not 
speaking  in  love. 

Keep  your  swords  bright  and  pure,  children,  as  God 
keeps  His,  by  keeping  them  bathed  in  love.  If  there 
is  anything  wrong  that  needs  to  be  spoken  about, 
or  pointed  out  to  be  destroyed,  before  doing  it,  ask : 
Why  am  I  going  to  talk  about  this  ?  Is  it  to  do  any 
good,  or  is  it  only  because  my  own  heart  is  wicked? 
Never,  never  use  that  sword — the  sword  that  is  bathed 
in  evil ;  its  wounds  rankle  and  spread,  and  never  do 
good.  Let  your  sword  be  the  sword  of  a  true  knight 
of  the  Cross,  a  sword  that  is  bathed  in  heaven,  a 
tongue  that  is  sheathed  within  the  lips  of  love. 


VI 

A   TOUGH  FIGHT 

"He  went  down  and  slew  a  lion  in  a  pit  in  a  snowy  day." — 
I  Chkon.  xi.  22. 

That  is  what  he  did,  and  it  was  counted  worth  the 
telling.  Why?  To  give  courage  to  other  people,  o£ 
course.  That  is  what  all  history  is  for,  or  should  be 
for — to  show  us  what  others  have  done,  that  we  may 
be  encouraged  to  do  the  like  if  it  is  good ;  or  show  us 
where  and  why  they  failed,  that  we  may  learn  to  avoid 
the  same  mistakes.  It  must  have  been  a  stiff  fight. 
The  man  was  cold  and  the  lion  was  hungry,  but  the 
man  got  warm  as  the  lion  got  desperate,  and  there 
was  no  escape  for  either.  All  retreat  was  cut  off  from 
both  :  it  had  to  be  a  fight  to  the  death  of  one  or  other. 
But  perhaps  that  is  not  so  much  to  be  regretted.  There 
are  a  great  many  fights  we  have  to  make  that  we  would 
make  all  the  better,  perhaps,  if  it  was  a  clear  case  of 
one  or  other  going  down,  if  there  was  no  retreating. 
We  never  really  know  all  we  can  do  till  we  are  fairly 
put  to  it.  As  long  as  we  think  there  is  a  chance  to 
shirk,  we  are  sure  to  take  it  whenever  the  struggle 
becomes  extra  hard.     He  was  a  shrewd  old  general, 


A   TOUGH  FIGHT  21 

and  knew  wliat  he  was  about,  who  was  in  the  habit  of 
putting  his  men  where  they  had  to  fight,  and  then 
making  them  this  simple  speech  :  "There's  the  enemy, 
lads ;  if  you  don't  kill  them,  they'll  kill  you  !  "  The 
men  understood,  and  acted  accordingly. 

This  is  something  of  the  spirit  we  must  seek  after, 
for  we  shall  need  it.  There  are  sundry  lions  we  also 
have  to  meet,  and  must  fight  to  the  death,  if  we  fight 
them  at  all.  There,  for  instance,  is  laziness.  You 
know  something  about  that  in  the  snowy  day,  do  you 
not  ?  Bed-clothes  are  very  heavy  in  the  morning  then  ; 
can't  lift  them  off !  The  fire  seems  like  a  magnet ; 
draws  you  to  it  and  holds  you  there.  There  is  such  a 
risk  in  going  out.  "  There's  a  lion  without,"  you  say 
— or  something  almost  as  bad — cold  and  slipperiness 
and  discomfort.  Yes  ;  but  there  is  a  bigger  lion  within 
— within  yourself,  for  laziness  is  there,  and  if  you 
don't  kill  it,  it  will  one  day  kill  you.  Begin  the  fight 
there ;  spring  up  in  the  morning  at  the  proper  time 
though  your  teeth  are  chattering  and  you  have  to  break 
the  ice  in  the  basin.  Do  your  duty  during  the  day 
though  the  snow  should  be  falling  as  large  as  a  shil- 
ling (or  eighteenpence  !  as  some  one  once  described  it). 
Your  victory  there  will  help  you  to  many  a  greater 
victory  elsewhere  ;  but  if  you  fail  there,  you  will  fail 
in  a  hundred  other  things,  simply  because  you  have 
not  learnt  to  conquer  yourself. 

But  there,  again,  is  your  particular  sin.  Everybody 
has  some  sin  that  stands  up  bigger  than  the  rest.    With 


22  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

some  it  is  untruthfulness,  with  others  it  is  sulkiness ; 
with  some  it  is  disobligingness,  and  with  some  it  is 
selfishness.  Whatever  it  is,  it  is  a  lion  that  must  be 
fought ;  and  there  is  nothing  for  it  but  fighting — hard 
fighting,  too.  You  can't  coax  a  wild  lion,  and  you 
can't  cut  its  claws  with  fine  promises.  It  neither  asks 
nor  gives  any  quarter:  you  must  either  kill  it  or  it 
will  kill  you.  Then,  when  the  case  is  so  clear,  don't 
waste  your  time  by  trying  any  wheedling  ways  of 
conquering.  Make  up  your  mind — and  make  up  your 
muscles  too — -that  either  it  must  go  down  or  you  must. 
When  it  comes  to  that — a  fair  fight  to  the  death — then 
there  is  all  hope  for  you,  but  never  till  then. 

But  be  clear,  and  be  very  sure,  about  this  also — that 
things  will  always  seem  to  be  against  you.  It  is  always 
a  snowy  day  when  you  fairly  face  these  lions;  it  is 
never  exactly  the  kind  of  weather  you  would  think 
most  suitable.  There  is  always  some  hindrance  in  the 
way.  Another  day  always  seems  a  better  day.  That 
is  the  mistake  that  has  given  the  lions  their  chance 
again  and  again,  so  that  they  have  slain  their  thousands 
who  could  have  slain  them  if  they  had  only  attacked 
them  boldly  when  they  had  the  opportunity,  without 
waiting  to  consider  what  hindrances  seemed  in  the 
way.  The  best  day  for  fighting  these  lions  is — to-day. 
Now — when  you  know  where  they  are,  and  what  they 
are — this  is  the  most  favourable  time  you  ever  will 
find. 

Begin  to-day.    No  matter  what  hindrances  may  seem 


A  TOUGH  FIGHT  23 


in  the  way,  the  Lord  is  stronger  than  all,  and  in  His 
strength  you  cannot  but  win.  So  offer  up  a  prayer : 
tell  the  Lord  what  you  want  to  overcome  ;  then  set 
yourself  determinedly  in  His  strength  to  do  the  thing 
you  should  do,  and  you,  too,  will  be  reckoned  among 
His  ''worthies,"  for  you  will  be  more  than  a  con- 
queror through  Him  Who  loves  you. 


VII 

THE    AMBULANCE    CORPS 
"A  young  man  of  Egypt." — i  Sam.  xxx.  13. 

Here  is  the  story : — 

Four  hundred  soldiers  were  sweeping  along,  tramp, 
tramp,  tramp,  with  very  determined  steps.  The  march 
was  a  long  one — so  long  and  so  swift  that  they  had 
to  leave  two  hundred  of  their  comrades  behind  them 
too  exhausted  to  go  any  farther.  But  the  four  hundred 
pressed  on,  every  man  with  his  teeth  set  firmly  and 
his  heart  beating  strong.  For  they  were  in  pursuit  of 
an  enemy  who  had  burned  their  city  to  the  ground, 
and  had  carried  away  their  wives  and  children,  their 
brothers  and  sisters,  as  prisoners;  and  when  men 
are  on  the  march  to  rescue  those  they  love,  there 
is  apt  to  be  a  very  strange  look  in  their  eyes  and  a 
very  strong  feeling  in  their  hearts. 

So  they  sent  out  their  scouts — men  who  went  far 
ahead  of  the  rest  and  spread  themselves  out  like  a 
fan,  so  that  they  might  find  out  where  the  enemy  was 
and  not  let  him  take  them  by  surprise.  As  some 
of  these  scouts  were  hurrying  over  a  field  they  came 


THE  AMBULANCE  CORPS  25 

on  one  of  the  enemy  who  had  caught  fever,  and  had 
evidently  dragged  himself  into  a  lonely,  shaded  corner 
to  die.  He  was  almost  dead,  but  not  quite  :  his  heart 
was  still  beating.  Poor,  poor  fellow !  for  three  days 
and  nights  he  had  lain  there,  weak  with  his  sick- 
ness, faint  with  hunger  and  thirst,  waiting  for  death. 
Can  anything  be  more  pitiful  than  for  a  strong  man 
suddenly  to  find  himself  become  so  weak  that  he 
can  do  nothing,  nothing,  to  help  himself,  and  with 
never  a  soul  to  do  him  a  kindness  in  the  time  of 
his  bitterest  need?  He  had  served  his  master,  he 
had  fought  for  him,  he  had  done  his  work ;  but  now, 
when  he  was  sick  and  of  no  further  use,  his  master 
had  left  him  to  die  like  a  dog.  That  is  what  the 
devil  does  to  every  one  who  serves  him  :  he  gives 
them  plenty  of  promises  so  long  as  he  can  make  use 
of  them;  but  when  the  evil  they  have  done  at  his 
bidding  has  come  back  on  themselves,  he  cares  nothing 
about  them — they  can  die.  Ah !  the  devil  is  a  bad, 
bad  master ;  his  wages  always  burn  at  last  the  hand 
that  takes  them. 

The  scouts  stood  round  the  dying  man.  They  could 
see  by  his  complexion,  his  uniform  and  his  weapons, 
that  he  was  one  of  the  enemy  who  had  carried  away 
their  wives  and  children,  and  that  made  their  fingers 
twitch  on  the  handles  of  their  swords.  They  were  in 
haste  :  every  moment  was  precious  if  they  hoped  to 
come  up  with  the  enetny  and  rescue  their  loved  ones 
out  of  his  grasp.     Would  they  kill  this  man  at  once, 


26  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

then,  and  march  on  ?  No !  they  would  not  do  that : 
they  were  angry  men,  indignant  men,  sorrowful  men — 
with  good  cause  to  be  angry  and  sorry  both — but 
they  were  brave  men,  strong  men,  and  brave  men 
never  strike  a  fallen  foe.  They  would  carry  him  gently 
to  their  captain,  and  get  their  instructions  from  him 
as  to  what  they  should  do.  That  is  a  fine  thing,  the 
right  thing,  to  do  with  an  enemy  when  you  have  him 
in  your  power — take  him  to  Jesus :  ask  what  He  would 
have  you  do  with  the  one  who  has  done  you  wrong. 

David  was  in  haste,  the  whole  army  was  in  haste, 
but  they  sounded  a  halt  as  soon  as  the  sick  man  was 
brought  in.  Then  they  moistened  his  parched  lips  and 
gave  him  water  to  drink — (it  is  "  Water  !  water  !  "  the 
fevered  always  moan  for) — and  gave  him  something  to 
eat,  and  the  poor  sinking  soul  revived.  Then  he  could 
tell  them  all  about  himself.  But  he  could  do  more: 
he  could  give  them  information  about  the  enemy  they 
were  pursuing,  what  he  had  done  and  the  road  he  had 
taken;  he  could  conduct  them  straight  to  the  place 
where  they  were  camping.  Was  it  mean  of  this  man 
to  turn  round  on  his  old  comrades?  I  don't  think 
it  was ;  and  I  do  hate  meanness — the  meanness  that 
splits  with  a  friend  and  then  rushes  to  tell  every- 
thing the  friend  has  told  in  confidence,  and  that 
does  all  it  can  to  harm  him.  That  is  mean.  But 
this  man  had  never  been  treated  as  a  friend  by 
those  he  had  been  among,  but  only  as  a  slave.  He 
was  an  Egyptian,  and  they  were  Amalekites :  he  had 


THE  AMBULANCE  CORPS  27 

been  treated  as  a  stranger  among  strangers  all  along. 
And  then,  when  they  had  got  out  of  him  all  they 
could  get,  and  he  turned  sick  and  couldn't  help 
himself,  they  heartlessly  dropped  him  on  the  way 
and  left  him  to  die  in  a  ditch.  I  don't  think  he 
had  any  particular  cause  to  feel  very  friendly  to 
them.     Do  you  ? 

So  David's  soldiers  crossed  their  spears,  spread  their 
coats  upon  them,  and  made  a  litter  for  the  sick  man,  and 
pushed  forward  again,  the  Egyptian  directing  them  in 
the  way.  By  nightfall  they  came  on  the  enemy  eating 
and  drinking  and  dancing — off  their  guard,  thinking 
everything  was  secure.  Like  angry  lions  David  and 
his  men  dashed  upon  them,  slew  the  most  of  them, 
sent  the  rest  flying  away  in  fear,  and  recovered  all 
who  had  been  taken  captive — their  wives  and  little 
ones — and  all  the  spoil  of  the  Amalekites  besides.  It 
was  a  big  victory. 

But  how  did  they  get  it?  Wasn't  it  by  showing 
kindness  to  one  who  had  been  forsaken?  Believe  it, 
children,  believe  it,  kindness  is  never  lost.  There  are 
poor  neglected  souls  all  round  you,  souls  that  have 
long  been  serving  Satan,  and  found  him  to  be  a  hard, 
hard  master.  Show  them  kindness ;  do  what  you  can 
to  bring  them  to  Jesus :  as  sure  as  you  live  you  will 
get  a  blessing  by  it  and  be  led  to  some  victory  through 
it.  If  David  and  his  men  had  neglected  this  poor 
foreigner  in  his  time  of  need,  they  would  have  saved 
their   time   perhaps,    and   a   little   food    and    a   little 


28  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

trouble,  but  they  would  have  lost  their  loved  ones. 
PeojDle  do  lose  their  loved  ones  so :  they  care  nothing 
for  the  neglected  souls  around  them,  and  as  these 
increase  and  grow  up,  they  corrupt  and  make  sinful 
those  they  love — and  they  lose  them.  God  put  this 
weak  one  in  the  way  of  these  men ;  according  as  they 
did  for  him  what  they  should  have  done,  or  did  not 
do  it,  so  they  would  win  or  lose.  Never  trouble 
yourself  to  ask,  then,  "  Who  is  my  neighbour  ? " 
"  Who  is  my  friend  ? "  or  "  Who  is  my  enemy  ? " 
Ask,  rather,  "  Who  needs  me  ?  "  "  Whom  can  I  help  ? 
What  can  I  do  to  bring  some  soul  to  Christ,  at  home 
or  abroad,  and  so  save  it  from  perishing  ?  "  The  one 
you  help  and  have  pity  upon  is  the  one  who  in  one 
way  or  other  will  lead  you  to  victory ;  but  the  one  you 
neglect  when  you  have  the  chance  to  do  him  good  but 
do  it  not — that  one  will  bring  some  defeat  and  disaster 
upon  you.  It  was  the  one  they  had  cared  nothing  for 
who  destroyed  the  Amalekites  at  last.  Be  kind,  be 
kind  always ;  try  to  be  kind  to  all ;  the  blessing  of 
Jesus  lies  that  vfay. 


VIII 
THE  FERRY  BOAT 

"  And  there  went  over  a  ferry  boat  to  carry  over  the  king's  house- 
hold, and  to  do  what  he  thought  good."— 2  Sam.  xix.  18. 

If  you  had  seen  David  that  night  in  his  tent,  you 
mightn't  have  thought  very  much  of  him.  He  was 
just  like  other  people ;  nothing  different.  He  had 
no  crown  on  his  head  or  glittering  jewels  on  his 
garments ;  his  clothes  were  poor  and  shabby,  and  he 
looked  very  worn  and  spent. 

Yes ;  but  he  was  a  king,  a  king  every  inch  of  him. 
For  a  great  promise  had  been  given  to  him,  and  it  was 
God  who  had  given  it — the  promise  that  he  would  yet 
be  seated  on  the  throne  in  Jerusalem,  and  would  have 
the  crown  on  his  head  and  the  sceptre  in  his  hand. 
Ah !  it's  a  big  mistake  to  judge  by  a^^pearances. 
There  are  people  now  all  round  us  just  like  David; 
they  have  a  hard  time  of  it,  and  they  are  sometimes 
very  tired,  and  they  look  like  very  common  folk,  but 
yet  in  the  midst  of  it  all  they  smile,  and  there  is  a 
strange,  sweet  song  always  singing  in  their  hearts. 
It  is  the  song  of  the  promise — God's  promise — that 

they  who  love  the  dear  Lord  Jesus  shall  yet  be  kings, 

29 


30        THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

and  shall  reign  with  Him.  They  are  kings  and  queens 
now,  though  you  can  see  no  crown  on  their  brows,  for 
God  has  said  it,  and  they  believe  His  word — and  that 
is  enough — they  shall  come  to  the  throne  yet,  for  all 
that  they  seem  so  poor.  Isn't  that  worth  living  for, 
children?  and  worth  looking  for,  and  striving  after? 
It  is — and  it  can  be  for  you,  as  it  can  be  for  every 
one;  for  it  is  the  promise  of  God  to  all  who  believe 
in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  live  in  the  love  of  Him. 
Make  it  your  own ;  take  the  promise  for  your  very 
own  self.  Fix  your  heart,  once  and  for  ever,  sure  and 
certain  on  Jesus  Christ,  and  you  shall  sit  on  a  throne 
yet,  and  wear  the  crown. 

But  one  thing  troubled  David  that  night,  as  the  like 
has  troubled  many  since.  He  could  not  be  king  till 
he  came  to  Jerusalem,  and  there  was  the  river  be- 
tween !  The  Jordan  was  broad,  and  deep,  and  strong ; 
how  would  he  ever  get  Across  ?  I  have  known  many 
people  troubled  about  that — very  troubled  indeed — so 
long  as  they  were  high  up  on  the  bank,  or  far  away 
from  the  dark,  rushing  river ;  but  when  they  came  at 
last  down  to  the  brink,  there  was  no  difficulty  what- 
ever. That  was  what  David  found.  When  he  went 
down  in  the  dark  to  think  it  all  out,  and  find  if  there 
was  any  place  better  than  another,  he  heard  a  voice 
speak  in  the  darkness  and  bid  him  come,  and  trust ; 
and  there  was  a  boat  by  the  water's  edge!  And  a 
word  was  whispered  in  his  ear,  and  he  was  no  longer 
afraid,  but   stepped  boldly  in,  and  the  boat  silently 


THE  FERRY  BOAT 


glided  away  through  the  gloom.  Where  he  was 
going  he  could  not  tell,  but  he  had  the  promise,  and 
trusted  to  it,  and  was  not  afraid;  and  it  all  turned 
out  as  the  Lord  had  promised  him :  there  was  a  shore 
beyond,  and  when  he  landed  on  it  there  were  throngs 
on  throngs  of  friends  waiting  for  him,  to  accompany 
him  up  to  the  city  of  palaces  and  bring  him  to  the 
kingly  throne.  The  promise  was  fulfilled :  David  sat 
on  the  throne,  and  wore  the  crown  and  the  jewelled 
robes,  and  was  every  way  a  king. 

Trust  to  God's  promise,  and  live  for  Jesus,  and  you 
need  never  be  afraid  of  the  time  when  you  have  to 
step  down  to  the  river.  The  boat  will  be  ready 
waiting  for  you  when  that  hour  comes.  The  boat  is 
black,  and  the  oars  dip  silently,  and  the  ferryman's 
face  is  hidden  till  you  have  got  across  and  the  sun 
has  risen ;  then,  behold !  it  is  Jesus  Christ  Himself 
who  has  brought  you  over.  That  is  enough:  to  be 
with  Him  is  to  be  safe.  The  crown  and  the  throne 
are  certain  when  Jesus  Himself  leads  us  to  them. 

So  live  for  Him,  and  live  in  the  trust  and  hope  of 
the  land  that  lies  beyond  the  river,  for  Jesus  has  said, 
"  When  thou  passest  through  the  waters  I  will  be  with 
thee." 

Do  you  not  quite  understand  all  that  I  mean  ?  Never 
mind ! — only  keep  it  in  mind :  when  you  are  at  the 
river  you  will  understand,  and  nobody  ever  does  really 
understand  till  then.  So  trust  the  promise,  and  work 
in  love,  and — leave  the  rest  with  God. 


IX 

HEAVEN'S  GATE 

"This  is  the  gate  of  heaven." — Gen.  xxviii.  17. 

Did  you  ever  try  to  run  away  from  your  shadow  ? 
'Twas  no  use.  Even  when  you  were  sly,  and  stood 
quite  still  and  mute  as  a  mouse,  and  then  suddenly 
bounded  away,  you  couldn't  surprise  it ;  it  was  ready 
for  you  and  clung  still  to  your  very  heels.  You  couldn't 
shake  it  off. 

r~  Have  you  ever  followed  a  sunbeam  ?  I  have.  I 
remember  one  cloudy  day,  when  I  was  going  through 
a  great  wood  where  the  trees  were  bare  (for  it  was  in 
the  late  autumn),  and  the  path  was  rutty,  a  sunbeam 
shone  straight  down,  like  a  pillar  of  gold,  from  a  little 
opening  in  the  clouds,  and  slowly  moved  along  with 
me  on  the  way.  I  wish  you  had  seen  me  then,  clothed 
in  gold,  while  all  round  was  gloomy !  You  would  have 
quite  thought  I  was  somebody ! 

Well,  it  was  between  the  shadow  and  the  sunbeam 
Jacob  lay  down  to  sleep.  His  shadow  was  his  sin. 
He  had  done  wrong,  and  had  to  run  away  from  home 
because  of  it.     But  he  couldn't  run  away  from  his 


HEAVEN'S  GATE  33 

shadow;  it  kept  following  him  all  the  way,  dogging 
his  steps  at  every  turn.  He  was  afraid  of  God ;  he 
thought  if  he  could  only  get  far  enough  away  from 
the  home  where  God  was  worshipped  he  would  get 
beyond  God's  reach  altogether.  Many  have  thought 
and  tried  the  same,  but  it  has  been  all  in  vain. 

'Twas  a  long  tramp,  and  he  was  tired,  very  tired, 
when  the  night  came  on  and  he  found  himself  alone  in 
the  wild,  rocky  wilderness.  He  wasn't  afraid,  he  was 
rather  glad ;  for  now,  he  thought,  he  had  got  away 
from  his  shadow,  and  right  away  from  God  too.  So  he 
lay  down  without  a  prayer ;  for  what  was  the  use  of 
praying  to  a  God  who  was  far  away  ?  But  he  couldn't 
help  thinking,  thinking,  as  he  looked  through  his  half- 
closing  eyes  on  the  great  strong  stars  blazing  above 
him,  and  on  the  ledges  of  rock  rising  up,  tier  upon  tier, 
step  upon  step,  in  front  of  him,  till  they  seemed  to  fade 
away  and  come  back,  and  fade  again  and  return,  always 
shiniDg  brighter  and  clearer,  and  growing  more  beauti- 
ful and  more  wonderful,  till  the  stars  became  like  the 
lamps  of  God,  and  the  rocks  became  like  a  silver  stair- 
way leading  up  and  up  to  God's  own  throne  !  And  the 
stairway  was  thronged  with  angels  going  and  coming 
on  noiseless  steps,  busy,  all  of  them  busy,  but  busy  in 
such  a  hush  and  stillness !  And  God  spoke  to  Jacob 
there.  He  had  lain  down  to  sleep  at  the  very  gate  of 
heaven ! 

When  he  woke  in  the  morning  the  shadow  had 
gone  from   his  heart.     The   sunbeam   had   taken   its 


34        THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

place,  and  that  sanbeam  kept  with  him  all  his  days  to 
the  very  last. 

Do  yoic  want  to  know,  then,  where  heaven  is?  I 
can  tell  you.  There  is  a  gate  to  it,  wide  open  with 
welcome,  close  beside  the  heart  of  every  one  who  has 
done  wrong  and  wants  to  do  right,  who  has  sinned 
and  wants  to  be  saved.  It  doesn't  matter  where  that 
boy  or  that  girl  is — in  church  or  chapel,  a  little  attic 
or  a  great  cathedral,  in  the  street  or  in  school,  among 
millions  of  people  in  a  great  city,  or  alone  in  a  wilder- 
ness, or  in  a  little  boat  on  the  loneliest  sea.  God  is 
everywhere,  and  there  is  a  gate  to  heaven  close  beside 
every  one  who  wants  to  get  to  heaven.  And  God  is 
pitiful.  Jacob  was  naughty,  but  God  was  kind.  Jacob 
was  afraid  when  he  found  how  close  God  was.  But  it 
wasn't  God  who  made  him  afraid ;  it  was  his  old  sin. 
It  frightened  him  to  think  that  God  had  seen  his  black 
shadow.  And  God  had  seen  it,  but  God  was  pitiful ; 
He  put  sunshine  into  the  poor  wanderer's  heart.  Never, 
never  be  afraid  to  go  to  God.  The  worse  you  are  and 
the  bigger  your  sin  is,  the  more  He  is  wishing  to  help 
and  save  you.  Pray  to  Him,  then.  A  penitent  prayer 
never  loses  its  way ;  it  always  finds  and  darts  through 
the  gate  to  heaven. 

And  trust  God  to  help  you  when  you  want  to  do 
better,  as  Jacob  wanted  now.  His  strong  angels  are 
everywhere,  going  and  coming  on  errands  of  mercy. 
While  they  have  charge  of  you  nothing  can  hurt 
you,  and  Jesus — our  Jesus — is  Lord  of  them  all. 


HEAVEN'S  GATE  35 

I  don't  know  where  I  am  going  to  die,  but  I  know 
this — wherever  I  shall  lay  me  down  to  sleep  at  last, 
there — there — will  be  a  gate  to  heaven.  For  all 
places  are  places  of  God's  dominion.  His  kingdom 
is  everywhere.  He  was  King  of  the  land  Jacob  had 
left,  He  was  King  of  the  land  he  was  sleeping  upon, 
and  He  was  King  of  the  land  he  was  going  to.  Wher- 
ever the  pilgrim  went,  there  God  was  King.  Then 
there  is  no  place  where  we  cannot  get  help  from  Him, 
as  Jacob  got  it ;  there  is  no  place  from  which  a  prayer 
cannot  be  sent  straight  to  Him ;  there  is  no  tempta- 
tion where  His  angels  cannot  protect  us ;  there  is 
no  place  where  we  may  live  or  where  we  may  die 
but  close  beside  it  is  a  gate  to  heaven.  Only  love 
Him  with  the  love  that  seeks  and  welcomes  Him 
everywhere — as  loving  children  seek  and  welcome  a 
loving  father — and  you  will  never  fail  to  find  Him, 
and  find  Him  strong  to  bless. 


X 

OUR  PROPER  PLACE 

"It  shall  be  given  to  them  for  whom  it  is  prepared." 

— Mark  x.  40. 

Theke  are  some  things  we  can  do  that  God  cannot. 

Think  of  that !    It  is  quite  true,  however — and  more's 

the  pity.     We  can  do  wrong  things,  for  instance,  and 

God  cannot ;  we  can  do  wicked  things,  but  God  cannot. 

We  can  also  do  this — we  can  give  honours  to  people 

who  don't  deserve  them,  and  we  can  keep  them  back 

from  people  who  should  have  them ;  but  God  cannot 

do  anything  like  that.     Because  He  is  good,  and  true, 

and  faithful.  He  can  only  make  ready  for  us  as  we 

make  ready  for  Him.     The  place  He  prepares  for  every 

one  of  us  depends  on  how  we  have  prepared  ourselves 

for  the  place. 

I  was  once   taken  over  the  Observatory  at   Kew, 

where  wise  and  learned  men  study  the  stars,  and  get 

to  know  what  kind  of  weather  we  are  going  to  have 

to-morrow  and  the  day  after.      I  saw  such  a  lot  of 

things  there  which  made  me  think,  and  find  out  my 

ignorance  ! 

36 


OUR  PROPER  PLACE  37 

In  one  room  was  a  great  number  of  watches.  I  did 
not  expect  to  find  these  there — and  very  cheap  watches 
they  seemed  to  be,  with  only  poor  tin  or  brass  cases 
on  them.  I  asked  my  friend,  the  chief  of  the  Obser- 
vatory, about  them,  and  he  explained.  These  watches, 
he  said,  came  to  him  from  first-class  jewellers  in  the 
City,  but  they  were  often  made  by  humble  workmen  in 
back  streets  and  poor  quarters.  Some  of  them  were 
excellent  workmen,  but  no  one  knew  exactly  how  his 
work  would  go  until  it  was  tested,  so  he  put  it  into  a 
cheap  case  and  took  it  to  the  jeweller  who  bought  it 
from  him,  and  he  then  sent  it  to  the  Observatory  to 
be  tested. 

The  testing  took  a  long  time.  The  watch  would  be 
left  for  days  and  days  in  a  room  as  hot  as  the  heart  of 
Africa  at  midsummer,  and  it  would  be  regulated  to 
stand  that  heat.  Then  it  would  be  taken  and  left  for 
days  and  days  in  a  room  as  cold  as  Greenland  in  the 
dejDths  of  winter,  and  it  would  be  watched  and  regulated 
again  to  endure  the  cold.  This  was  needful,  for  the 
person  who  bought  the  watch  at  last  might  require  a 
timepiece  that  could  be  trusted  in  all  weathers  and 
everywhere. 

But  some  of  the  watches  couldn't  stand  it ;  they 
would  go  too  fast  or  too  slow  as  the  heat  went  up  or 
the  cold  went  down :  they  couldn't  be  depended  on  for 
great  changes.  They  were  marked  accordingly  and 
sent  back,  and  the  jeweller  put  them  into  cheap  cases 
and   sold    them   for   rough-and-ready   work.      Other 


S8        THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

watches,  however,  stood  the  testing  well ;  they  took 
meekly  all  the  changes  through  which  they  were  put, 
and  answered  bravely  to  the  regulator :  these  could  be 
depended  on  wherever  you  were.  These  the  jeweller 
put  into  rich  cases — cases  of  gold,  sometimes  with 
costly  diamonds — for  they  were  worthy. 

Every  watch,  you  see,  had  a  place  prepared  for  it, 
just  as  it  was  prepared  for  the  place.  It  wasn't  by 
chance  that  one  was  put  at  last  in  a  gold  case,  another 
in  a  silver  one,  and  another  in  brass.  Each  was  fitted 
just  as  it  had  fitted  itself. 

; :  i  Of  course  there  is  a  great  difference  between  a 
watch,  which  can't  think  or  help  itself  much,  and  a 
boy  or  a  girl,  a  man  or  a  woman,  who  can.  Yet  it  is 
true  of  us,  too,  as  it  is  true  of  the  watches^the  place 
we  shall  have  by^and^by  won't  go  by  favouritism,  and 
won't  go  by  bribing,  and  won't  go  by  chance,  but  will 
go  exactly  according  to  what  we  really  are.  Many  a 
poor  man  will  get  a  glorious  place  with  the  Lord, 
because  he  was  a  true  man  and  faithful  to  his  Master 
in  everything ;  while  many  a  rich  man  will  get  a  very 
poor  place,  because  he  wasn't  true  and  wasn't  faithful. 
There  is  a  place  for  each :  every  one  of  us  must  go  to 
"his  own  place."  What  that  place  shall  be  depends 
on  what  we  are  now. 

Mind  the  regulator,  then,  children.  It  is  conscience 
— the  thing  that  tells  you  when  yon  are  doing  right 
and  when  you  are  doing  wrong.  Every  day  you  will 
have  something  to  try  you  like  heat  and  cold.     You 


OUR  PROPER  PLACE 


39 


will  have  temptations  and  vexations,  and  pleasures  and 
sorrows:  these  are  the  things  that  test  you.  Keep 
right  with  conscience,  then,  about  everything;  never 
forgetting  that  you  are  being  tried  in  Time  for  the 
place  you  shall  have  in  Eternity. 


XI 

OUR  HOME  ABROAD 

Walter  Kigg  was  an  upright  man,  honest  and  true, 
but  somewhat  hard.  He  had  his  notions,  and  he  went 
to  church. 

He  was  a  good  deal  put  out  one  day  when  he  went 
there  and  heard  a  missionary  speak  up  for  Jesus  and 
ask  help  for  the  heathen.  Walter  Eigg  wouldn't  help 
them — not  he !  They  had  done  nothing  for  him,  and 
he  wasn't  bound  to  do  anything  for  them.  Charity 
should  begin  at  home.  A  friend  at  hand  was  better 
than  even  a  brother  far  away.  No,  he  felt  no  call 
to  do  anything  for  the  Foreign  Mission;  there  was 
enough  to  do  at  home. 

That  night  he  had  a  curious  dream.  He  saw  his 
fields  withering  and  drying  up  for  want  of  rain.  He 
prayed,  and  prayed  very  earnestly,  for  rain  to  come; 
but  a  voice  at  his  ear  whispered  to  him  that  it  was 
no  use :  the  rain  couldn't  come,  for  the  clouds  would 
have  to  be  fetched  from  abroad. 

Then  the  air  became  so  close  and  stifling  that  the 
blight  was  beginning  to  spring  up,  and  he  prayed  for 
a  breeze — a   fresh,  pure,  health-giving   breeze.     But 


OUR  HOME  ABROAD 


again  the  voice  whispered  that  it  couldn't  come,  for 
it  would  have  to  be  fetched  from  abroad. 

Then  it  became  foggy  and  dark,  and  he  prayed  for 
light — sunlight,  or  moonlight,  or  starlight — anything 
was  better  than  this.  But  he  couldn't  have  it,  the 
voice  whispered  again,  for  the  light  was  so  many 
thousand  miles  away. 

He  thought  he  was  dying,  and  wondered  where 
heaven  was,  and  it  struck  him  that  that  was  far 
away  too ;  and  then  a  great  fear  came  over  him. 
He  began  to  see  things  a  little  differently — to  see 
that  there  was  nothing  that  was  really  far  away,  for, 
one  way  or  another,  it  came  to  be  near.  If  there 
was  plague  or  infection  across  the  water,  then  as  likely 
as  not  it  would  come  here  too ;  but  if  things  were 
healthy  there,  there  was  a  good  chance  of  their  being 
healthy  here  also.  His  foot  was  a  good  bit  away 
from  his  head,  but  if  poison  got  there  it  would  soon 
be  all  over  him.  No,  there  was  really  no  such  thing 
as  far-off  or  near  in  anything  that  had  to  do  with  the 
souls  of  men.  The  farthest  away  could  help  or  hurt 
him,  and  he  could  help  or  hurt  the  farthest  away. 

He  could  never  afterwards  bear  to  hear  anybody 
speak  of  the  Foreign  Mission  and  the  Home  Mission. 
There  were  not  two  Missions,  he  used  to  say,  any 
more  than  there  were  two  atmospheres,  or  two  rains,  or 
two  sunshines.  They  were  one  and  the  same  wherever 
they  were — the  Lord's  one  grand  Mission  of  Mercy. 

That  is  so — and  don't  you  forget  it ! 


XII 

BREAKING  THE  SPELL 

"The  great  trumpet  shall  be  blown." — ISA.  xxvii.  13. 

Most  of  you  have  read,  I  dare  say,  the  fine  story  of 
the  Sleeping  Beauty  and  the  Enchanted  Palace.  It 
'is  long  since  I  read  it,  but  it  is  one  of  those  stories 
that,  once  read,  can  never  again  be  altogether  for- 
gotten. There  was  the  great  palace,  with  its  far- 
stretching  garden  and  its  thick,  shaggy  woods ;  with 
its  soldiers  and  serving-men,  the  little  page-boys  and 
the  ladies-in-waiting.  But  it  was  all  like  a  picture : 
nothing  was  moving;  the  same  watchman  had  stood 
on  the  tower  through  frost  and  heat,  as  if  he  were 
a  statue;  the  sentinel  had  leaned  on  his  spear  at  the 
great  gateway  night  and  day  through  winter  and 
summer,  as  if  he  had  been  carved  out  of  stone ;  and 
there,  in  the  heart  of  the  palace,  the  beautiful  princess 
and  her  maidens  had  slept  and  slept,  while  the  dust 
of  the  years  was  falling  everywhere;  it  was  all  like 
the  grounds  and  the  palace  of  a  dream ! 

You  know  why :    a  wicked  Enchanter  had  thrown 
a   spell  over  all,  and  no  one  could  lift  hand  or  foot, 


BREAKING  THE  SPELL  43 


or  see  or  speak,  until  that  spell  was  broken.  But 
it  could  be  broken  if  some  one  with  faith  and  courage 
would  do  it.  You  remember  how?  Outside,  on  a 
tree  of  the  enchanted  wood  where  no  fruit  grew,  a 
horn  or  trumpet  was  hung  up,  and  beside  it  was  a 
sword.  Whoever  would  break  the  magic  spell  and 
awaken  the  sleepers,  and  bring  all  the  stir  and  song- 
fulness  of  life  into  that  palace  and  these  grounds 
again,  must  dare  to  enter  the  darkness  of  the  wood, 
draw  that  sword  from  its  scabbard,  and  blow  a  clear, 
loud,  ringing  blast  on  the  trumpet. 

And  so  .it  proved  to  be.  A  brave  young  knight, 
who  had  given  his  life  for  God  and  for  all  that  was 
good,  groped  his  way  through  the  wood,  and,  in  spite 
of  all  the  sounds  and  sights  that  threatened  him,  he 
made  his  way  to  the  tree,  and  drew  the  sword,  and 
blew  the  trumpet — and  then  there  was  such  a  stir! 
The.  stream  began  to  flow,  the  gates  swung  back, 
everybody  in  the  palace  began  to  move,  the  princess 
and  her  maidens  awoke,  and  all  the  brightness  and 
the  music  of  life  were  restored. 

-  That  is  a  nice  story,  is  it  not?  It  is,  and  it  is 
something  more  than  a  story ;  it  is  a  parable  :  it  only 
puts  some  big,  big  truths  in  a  nice  and  pleasing  way. 
For  they  are  not  palaces  and  gardens  only  that  have 
had  the  spell  of  enchantment  cast  on  them :  whole 
nations  have  had  it,  and  some  have  been  under  its 
power  for  hundreds  and  hundreds  of  years.  They 
have  made  no  progress  in  that  time :  they  have  had 


44  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 


no  life  in  them ;  what  they  were  hundreds  of  years 
ago  they  still  continued  to  be.  The  Enchanter  that 
bound  them  was  Superstition.  But  bold  knights  came 
— knights  of  the  Cross — from  the  days  of  William 
Carey  and  John  Williams,  and  they  drew  the  sword, 
which  is  the  Word  of  God,  and  with  the  breath  of 
faith  they  blew  the  trumpet  of  the  Gospel,  and  the 
heathen  world  that  had  long  been  slumbering  began 
to  awake  into  new  life. 

Oh,  the  great  changes  that  have  taken  place  within 
a  few  years,  since  first  the  knights  of  the  Cross  began 
to  enter  the  darkness  of  heathenism  !  Within  the 
memory  of  living  men,  lands  that  are  larger  than 
our  own,  and  that  were  sunk  in  the  deep  sleep  of 
idolatry,  have  cast  their  idols  to  the  ground,  and 
to-day  they  are  as  Christian  as  we  are.  Within  the 
memory  of  living  men,  Africa  was  like  a  gloomy  forest, 
but  David  Livingstone  dared  to  enter  it,  and  with 
only  God's  Word  for  a  sword,  but  with  the  breath  of 
faith  with  which  to  sound  the  Gospel  message,  he 
brought  light  and  life  to  the  Dark  Continent,  and 
now,  point  after  point  and  place  after  place.  Christian 
Missions  are  spreading  all  over  it. 

But  there  is  one  great  land  that  has  been  harder 
to  enter  than  most ;  it  is  a  land  of  beauty,  a  land 
of  much  wisdom,  too,  but  for  longer  than  almost  any 
other  country  it  has  been  under  the  spell  of  supersti- 
tion, so  that  it  has  made  no  progress ;  it  has  been 
as  a  nation  asleep.     It  is  China.     Now  at  last,  how- 


BREAKING  THE  SPELL  45 


ever,  with  the  sharp  sword  of  war  and  the  trumpet 
of  battle,  it  is  being  roused,  and  is  beginning  to 
understand  that  the  time  for  sleep  is  over,  the  time 
for  life,  and  all  life's  actions,  has  come.  Before  long 
that  land  will  be  thrown  open  from  end  to  end  for 
the  preaching  of  the  Gospel,  as  Japan  was  thrown 
open  some  forty  years  ago,  and,  long  before  your 
hair  is  grey  with  age,  I  am  certain  you  will  find 
that  that  nation,  so  long  sunk  in  slumber,  will  be 
awake  everywhere,  and  awake  most  of  all  to  the 
power  of  the  life  that  comes  when  Jesus  is  made 
King  and  Saviour. 

Ah,  children !  that  is  a  fine  story  about  the  En- 
chanted Palace  and  the  Sleeping  Princess ;  but  it  is  a 
still  finer  story  that  is  being  worked  out  to-day  in 
every  part  of  the  world.  For  the  knights  of  the  Cross 
are  going  everywhere,  and  everywhere  the  stir  of  a 
new  life  is  going  with  them.  When  we  think  of  what 
has  been  done  in  a  hundred  years,  and  then  think  of 
our  steamships,  and  trains,  and  telegrajDhs,  and  printing- 
press,  there  is,  I  think,  little  need  to  wonder  that 
before  fifty  years  have  fled  the  knowledge  of  Jesus 
the  Eedeemer  will  be  brought  to  the  whole  world. 

You  must  help ;  you  can  help.  Faith  first ;  you 
can  pray.  Pray,  then,  and  put  your  heart  into  your 
prayer  that  Christ's  kingdom  may  come,  and  that  the 
heathen  may  speedily  be  given  Him  for  an  inheritance. 
Your  faith,  going  with  your  prayers,  will  be  like  the 
very  breath  of  life  to  awake   the  slumbering.      But 


46  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

there  is  the  sword,  too — the  Word  of  God;  make  use 
of  that.  You  have  your  missionary-boxes  —  do  not 
neglecfc  them ;  they  are  the  scabbard  of  the  sword  the 
missionaries  have  to  use.  Be  knights  of  the  Cross  to 
help  God's  work  where  you  are  and  as  you  are ;  it  may 
be  that  some  of  you  will  yet  yourselves  go  to  the 
foreign  field  and  be  the  Lord's  knights  there.  May  He 
grant  that  it  shall  be  so!  When  the  great  victory 
comes — as  come  it  must — when  Christ  shall  be  crowned 
King  over  all,  look  to  it  that  this  may  then  be  your 
reward — that  you  did  not  hold  back,  but  rather  did 
what  you  could  and  as  you  could,  to  help  forward  the 
merciful  work  of  the  Lord. 


XIII 
CHILD-VISION 

"  Thou  hast  hid  these  things  from  the  wise  and  prudent,  and  hast 
revealed  them  unto  babes." — Matt.  xi.  25. 

There  is  such  a  lot  of  things  God  hides  from  the  "  wise 
and  prudent " — from  learned  folk  and  thoge  who  think 
they  are  very  clever  —  but  which  He  shows  to  the 
little  ones. 

I  don't  know  wliat  a  real  baby  sees  when  it  is 
snuggled  quite  "comf'ably  "  in  its  cradle,  but  I  expect 
it  sees  things  a  thousand  times  more  beautiful  than 
anything  we  can  see.  I  have  watched  its  eyes  when 
it  didn't  know  I  was  watching,  and  I  have  seen  it 
look  steadily  at  something  in  the  air ;  then  such  a  big, 
wondering  look  came  over  it,  and  after  that  there  would 
be  such  a  sweet,  sweet  smile,  and  then  a  gurgle  as  if 
the  little  thing  were  speaking  a  language  better  than 
my  own — the  language  of  the  soul  rather  than  that  of 
the  lips ;  and  I  have  thought — What  wouldn't  I  give 
to  see  what  baby  is  seeing  ?  But  he  is  a  deep  little 
fellow ;  he  is  a  foreigner,  and  has  only  come  on  a  visit 
to  our  world,  and  he  hasn't  gone  so  very  far  into  it 
yet  but  he  can  still  see  some  of  the   glory  that  he 


48        THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

came  from  ;  and  he  has  a  language  of  his  own,  different 
from  ours,  and  he  is  not  going  to  tell  us  strangers 
about  the  country  of  the  King,  He  keeps  that  all  to 
himself,  the  sly  little  rascal !  He  is  a  foreigner  to  us, 
but  that  would  be  nothing  if  he  didn't  treat  us  so 
provokingly  as  being  foreigners  to  him,  and  be  always 
bidding  us  to  mind  our  own  business. 

Or,  again,  some  of  you  little  ones,  have  you  ever 
looked  into  the  fire  on  a  quiet  winter's  evening  ?  What 
wonderful  things  you  have  seen  there !  Lakes  of  silver 
and  mountains  of  ruddy  gold ;  armies  with  glittering 
swords,  and  forests  thick  with  gloom ;  deep  caverns 
where  the  wild  beasts  were  crouching,  and  ships  that 
sailed  in  the  air  !  I  have  seen  them  all,  too,  so  I  know  ; 
and,  would  you  believe  it?  I  sometimes  see  them  all 
yet.  For  I  never  grow  old :  I  only  kiss  the  years  as 
they  come,  and  bid  them  good-bye.  But  I  keep  my 
young  eyes  and  my  young  heart  still,  and  that  is  why 
I  can  talk  to  you. 

Yes ;  wonderful  things  God  reveals  to  the  little 
ones,  which  He  hides  from  all  others.  And  do  you 
know  why?  Just  because  the  little  ones  are  very 
simple,  very  trustful,  and  very  affectionate.  Yes,  it  all 
comes  out  of  that.  When  we  grow  up  we  think  we 
are  bound  to  grow  very  wise  and  be  very  suspicious, 
and  be  slow  to  believe  and  quick  to  question,  and  we 
become  very  cautious,  very  "prudent,"  and  we  boast 
that  we  know  a  thing  or  two,  and  that  people  will  have 
to  get  up  very  early  in  the  morning  to  take  us  in. 


CHILD-VISION  49 


What  blunderers  many  grown-up  people  are,  to  be 
sure !  They  become  proud  about  dust  and  iron,  and 
every  day  they  go  on  losing  more  and  more  of  the  gold 
and  silver.  Their  sight  grows  shorter  and  shorter,  so 
that  they  can  only  see  the  grubby  things  that  are 
within  arm's-length  of  them,  and  they  lose  sight  of 
heaven,  and  the  power  to  see  one  another's  hearts. 
And  they  call  that  wisdom,  or  experience,  or  prudence  ! 
Wisdom  ?  If  that  is  wisdom,  it  has  got  a  fool's-cap  on 
its  head !  What  a  wise  set  they  were  in  Jerusalem 
long  ago,  but  they  didn't  know  that  the  little  Babe 
that  was  born  in  a  manger  was  yet  going  to  change 
all  the  world.  And  when  the  Apostles  went  about 
preaching  the  Cross,  the  philosophers  and  poets,  the 
men  who  studied  the  stars,  and  the  men  who  wrote 
books,  all  laughed  at  them.  But  who  ever  hears 
about  these  men  now  ?  Who  even  knows  their  names  ? 
And  yet  the  Apostles !  Why,  you  know  them  all ; 
and,  what  is  more,  we  are  here  to-day  because  their 
work  is  lasting  still !  But  the  wise  and  prudent  saw 
nothing  of  this ;  they  only  saw  the  field  that  was 
being  ploughed,  and  broken  up,  and  sowed  with  seed ; 
they  didn't  see  the  vision  of  the  harvest  that  should 
follow.  But  humble  folk  did.  God  revealed  to  simple 
souls  what  was  hidden  from  those  who  were  too 
clever. 

And  that's  the  way  He  always  works.  It  is  the 
simple,  loving,  trustful  heart  that  sees  God,  sees  what 
He  is  doing,  and  sees  what  He  is  going  to  do.     So 


50        THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

keep  your  hearts  fresh,  my  bairnies,  fresh  and  trust- 
ful and  loving,  all  your  days.  Think  all  the  good  you 
can  of  other  people.  Try  always  to  see  the  good  that 
is  in  them,  or  the  chance  of  the  good  you  can  do 
them.  Keep  your  heart  as  the  heart  of  a  little  child, 
even  though  you  live  to  ninety  years.  It  is  the  way 
to  be  always  happy  yourself ;  it  is  the  way  to  make  all 
others  happy ;  and,  better  still,  it  is  the  way  to  keep 
the  eyes  of  the  soul  clean  and  bright,  so  that  they 
shall  always  be  able  to  see  what  God  is  wanting  to 
show. 


XIV 

CLEAR    THE    LINE! 

"  Seek  ye  first." — Matt.  vi.  33. 

We  are  all  born  explorers ;  there  is  nothing  we  like 
better  when  we  are  little  than  to  seek,  and  seek, 
and  rummage  about  and  find  new  places  and  things. 
Whether  it  is  an  old  cupboard,  or  a  crooked  street, 
or  a  bit  of  a  wood  on  the  fringe  of  a  meadow,  there 
is  a  thrill  of  pleasure  in  exploring  it  and  finding  out 
all  about  it,  such  as  we  never  have  after  discovering 
all  that  is  there. 

I  suppose  that  is  why  every  healthy  boy  and  girl 
likes  books  of  adventures  and  tales  of  travel.  Oh, 
to  have  been  with  Columbus  when  first  he  looked  on 
the  New  World !  Oh,  to  have  stood  beside  Magellan 
when  his  ship  first  glided  into  the  silent,  mighty 
Pacific  Ocean!  Oh,  to  be  with  Nansen  drifting 
about  with  the  icebergs  on  the  phance  of  being 
swung  round  to  the  North  Pole !  But  it's  no  use 
wishing;  it  is  very  nice,  but  it  doesn't  bring  us  any 
nearer.  All  the  same  we  love  to  hear  and  read  of 
the  men  who  were  the  first  to  do  things  and  the  first 


52 


THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 


to  see  them,  and  we  can't  help  wishing  for  what  we 
love ;  can  we  ? 

As  we  said,  there  is  a  bit  of  the  explorer  in  us  all. 
We  like  to  find  out,  and  if  we  are  the  first  to  find  out, 
so  much  the  better.  And  it  is  well  that  it  should  be 
so,  for  there  isn't  anything  worth  having  but  needs  to 
be  sought  out,  and  hunted  up,  and  asked  and  asked  for 
again.  That's  why  you  are  always  asking  ''Why?" 
You  were  made  to  do  it.  You  see,  this  is  a  big  world, 
with  a  great  many  things  in  it,  and  you  never  saw 
them  before  or  knew  they  were  there,  and  so  you 
must  ask  Why  ?  Why  ?  Why  ?  if  you  are  ever  to  find 
out  and  learn.  It  is  a  good  thing,  then,  of  itself,  to 
have  the  seeking  spirit. 

But  everything  depends  on  how  we  use  it,  if  it  is  to 
do  us  any  good.  The  boy  who  goes  seeking  for  black- 
berries, when  he  has  been  sent  to  seek  for  his  little 
brother  who  has  wandered  away,  will  have  a  very  bad 
quarter  of  an  hour  after  he  gets  home.  No  harm, 
but  much  good,  in  seeking  for  blackberries ;  but  much 
harm  and  no  good  in  seeking  for  them  when  we  should 
have  been  seeking  for  something  else.  And  it  is  the 
same  about  everything;  what  we  are  doing  may  be 
right  enough  in  itself,  but  it  may  be  all  wrong  because 
we  are  doing  it  at  the  wrong  time.  There  is  a  first  and 
a  second  and  a  third,  and  very  many  more  after  these, 
and  if  we  put  the  third  second,  or  the  second  first,  we 
have  turned  things  the  wrong  way  about,  and  are  certain 
to  suffer  for  it  ourselves,  and  to  make  others  suffer  too. 


CLEAR  THE  LINE/  53 

What,  then,  is  the  first  thing  we  should  seek  ?  Most 
people  say,  Money  I  Oh,  to  be  rich !  to  be  able  to 
buy  things,  and  roll  about  in  a  carriage,  and  live  in 
a  big  house,  and  have  tarts  every  day !  Let  me  tell 
you  a  tale  by  a  great  poet. 

There  was  a  poor  Roman  scholar  once,  who  was 
very  clever  and  gave  promise  of  doing  much  good  in 
the  world.  One  day  he  saw  a  strange  statue  with  curious 
writing  carved  upon  it.  He  could  read  and  understand 
the  writing,  and  it  made  him  watch  the  shadow  which 
the  statue  cast  on  the  ground,  and  this  led  him  to 
discover  his  way  into  a  hall  that  was  stored  with  riches 
— silver  and  gold  and  precious  gems.  What  a  quantity 
he  gathered  together !  What  dreams  he  had  of  the 
great  mansion  he  would  build  and  the  grand  things 
he  would  do !  Just  as  he  turned  to  go,  however,  he 
saw  at  his  feet  a  wonderful  green  stone,  and  he  stooped 
to  lift  it,  for  it  was  worth  the  price  of  a  kingdom. 
But  the  stone  was  fixed  to  the  ground,  and  as  he 
struggled  to  loosen  it  he  saw  the  figure  of  a  knight 
in  armour  that  stood  near  slowly  lift  his  bow  and 
draw  the  arrow  on  the  string.  The  arrow  struck  the 
great  jewel  by  which  the  hall  was  lighted,  and  in  an 
instant  all  was  dark.  It  was  in  vain  the  scholar 
groped  and  groped  to  find  the  door  by  which  he  had 
entered ;  he  could  not  come  by  it,  and  so  perished 
miserably  in  the  dark  by  the  side  of  all  the  treasure 
he  had  gathered  together. 

That  is  an  interesting  story,  is  it  not?     But  what 


54  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 


does  it  mean  ?  Just  this :  the  riches  are  dear,  dear, 
however  abundant  they  may  be,  that  are  got  at  the 
cost  of  all  that  makes  the  light  of  life  for  us.  They 
never,  never  should  be  the  first. 

And  so  there  are  many  other  things  that  people 
put  first,  only  to  find — perhaps  when  too  late — that 
they  should  have  been  second,  or  third,  or  even 
farther  down. 

Jesus  leaves  us  in  no  mistake.  He  speaks  the 
right,  clear,  bold  word  we  all  need  when  He  says, 
"  Seek  ye  FIRST—  !  "—what  ?  The  Kingdom  of  God 
and  His  righteousness.  That  means — make  it  jour  first 
concern  about  everything  to  be  right  with  God. 

That  fits  everybody.  There  are  some  things  we 
may  never  hope  to  be  able  to  do :  they  may  be  too 
great,  or  too  wise,  or  too  difficult  for  us,  or  they 
may  take  too  long  a  time,  or  more  strength  than 
we  shall  ever  have.  But — to  be  right  with  God ! — 
we  can  all  seek  this,  and  seek  successfully,  too.  How  ? 
By  trying  to  live  up  to  Jesus.  He  is  like  the  top 
line  of  the  copy-book,  and  as  we  imitate  that,  we 
come  by-and-by  to  write  like  it.  He  is  the  Friend, 
and  as  we  keep  close  by  Him  we  come  to  speak  as 
He  speaks,  and  do  as  He  does,  and  be  as  He  is. 
What  is  more — He  is  the  Helper,  and  when  we  have 
done  wrong  He  can  put  us  right.  To  believe  in 
Him,  to  love  Him  and  strive  to  be  like  Him — that  is 
the  first  thing  every  one  of  us  has  to  do. 

I  had  a  dream  once :  many  have  had  a  similar  one 


CLEAR  THE  LINE/  55 

with  the  eyes  open.  And  I  saw  a  great  many  people 
standing  before  God.  They  were  telling  about  all 
they  had  done.  One  had  been  a  king,  and  had  bnilt 
vast  palaces;  another  had  been  a  soldier,  and  had 
conquered  in  many  a  battle;  another  had  been  a 
merchant,  and  had  employed  thousands  of  people ; 
and  so  on.  But  one  question  was  asked  them  :  "  Did 
you  do  the  first  thing  ?  "  One  by  one  they  hung  their 
heads — and  when  I  looked  again  they  had  vanished 
away,  and  there  was  only  the  sound  of  sobbing  in 
the  air. 

Then,  children,  set  your  hearts  on  seeking  Jesus 
and  pleasing  Him  as  the  first  thing  of  everything 
you  have  to  do.  Everything  else  you  want  and 
everything  else  you  need  He  promises  to  send,  and 
send  in  the  right  time  and  way,  as  you  keep  doing 
this.  It  is  a  promise,  and  Jesus  never  breaks  His 
promises.     Trust  Him. 

When  the  Queen  has  an  important  message  to  tele- 
graph everything  else  has  to  be  set  aside.  "  Clear 
the  line ! "  is  the  word  that  is  then  passed  on,  and 
till  the  royal  message  has  been  sent  no  other  can  be 
despatched. 

That  is  the  way  this  message  from  Jesus  is  sent 
to  us.  It  comes  saying,  "  Clear  the  line ! "  Every- 
thing else — books,  play,  work — must  be  second  or 
third  or  fourth.  "  Seek  ye  FIRST— ! "  that  is  the 
command,  and  till  we  have  obeyed  it  we  have  not  even 
begun  to  be  right  with  God. 


56        THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

So  begin — now — at  once.  When  it  is  a  matter  of 
life  and  death  (as  this  is),  of  obeying  God  or  dis- 
obeying Him,  there  is  need  that  we  should  promptly 
"  Clear  the  line !  "  and  hearken  and  do.  Seek  first — 
seek  FIRST— Jesus.     "  They  that  seek  shall  find." 


XV 

AGAINST  THE  STREAM 

"So  did  not  I,  because  of  the  fear  of  the  Lord." — Neh.  v.  15. 

Wouldn't  it  make  a  long  list  if  we  were  to  put  down 
all  the  things  we  didn't  do !  What  are  history  books 
made  up  of  ?  Isn't  it  about  what  people  did  ?  These 
take  up  a  good  deal  of  space,  and  take  some  time  to 
read,  too ;  but  if  we  were  only  told  what  people  didn't 
do,  the  oldest  man  wouldn't  have  got  through  the 
books,  though  he  began  to  read  when  he  was  a  little 
child.  No !  not  about  even  what  one  boy  or  one  girl 
didn't  do !  So  there  is  a  chance  for  some  of  you,  when 
you  grow  up  and  want  to  become  authors  and  write 
books.  Write  about  what  people  haven't  done,  and 
you  will  never  be  out  of  employment. 

And  sometimes  you  will  have  to  praise  them  for 
what  they  haven't  done,  and  sometimes  you  will  have 
to  blame  them.  It  all  depends.  If  they  haven't  done 
what  they  shouldn't  have  done,  then  that  is  good ;  but 
if  they  haven't  done  what  they  should  have  done,  then 
it  is  bad.     Everything  turns  on  this. 

Try  to  learn  how  to  keep  right  about  both  these 


58  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

things.  How  many  words  do  you  suppose  there  are 
in  the  big  English  dictionaries?  Thirty-eight  thou- 
sand !  What  a  lot !  To  know  them  all  would  be  like 
knowing  all  the  leaves  in  a  chestnut-tree  in  spring- 
time. Yet,  what  do  you  think  they  all  grow  from  ? 
From  two  tiny  little  words  which  every  baby  soon 
learns  to  say — "Yes"  and  "No."  These  are  the 
seeds;  all  the  rest  are  the  branches,  the  leaves,  the 
flowers,  and  the  fruits.  For  as  soon  as  anybody  says 
"Yes"  or  "No,"  then  somebody  else  wants  to  know 
Why  ?  or  How  ? — and  so  more  words  have  to  be  found 
to  explain  it  all. 

You  must  respect,  then,  and  very  much  respect, 
these  two.  There  is  a  time  to  say  "  Yes,"  and  say  it 
firmly,  and  there  is  a  time  to  say  "  No,"  and  say  it  as 
if  you  meant  it.  The  way  to  know  the  proper  time 
and  the  proper  word  to  speak  is — Ke member  the  Lord. 
What  would  He  wish  ?  What  would  He  do  ?  What 
would  He  have  you  to  do?  Once  you  go  by  this 
simple  rule — a  rule  that  never  fails — you  will  not  have 
any  difficulty  in  knowing  the  things  you  shouldn't  do, 
or  the  things  you  should. 

There  is  one  time  specially  when  you  must  say 
"  No,"  and  say  it  promptly,  decidedly,  and  firmly. 
"  When  sinners  entice  thee,  consent  thou  not."  Say 
"  No ! " — and  say  it  in  capital  letters,  as  it  were. 
They  can't  compel  you;  nobody  can  compel  you  to 
sin.  All  they  can  do  is  to  entice  you.  You  know 
what  that  means ;  it  is  coaxing,  promising,  tempting. 


AGAINST  THE  STREAM  59 

The  nice  bait  that  is  put  on  the  hook  is  in  order  to 
entice  the  fish,  the  crumbs  that  are  thrown  on  the 
ground  near  to  the  trap  are  in  order  to  entice  the 
bird,  and  the  fine  promises  and  the  glittering  words 
sinners  use  are  all  to  entice  you.  But  the  bait  is 
useless  and  the  crumbs  can  do  nothing  till  the  fish 
or  the  bird  consents,  and  no  more  can  other  people 
lead  you  into  sin  till  you  are  willing  to  be  led.  Every- 
thing depends  on  yourself. 

There  is  one  favourite  bait  you  must  be  very  watch- 
ful over.  It  is  when  they  whisper  to  you,  "What 
does  it  matter  ?  It  must  be  right,  for  everybody  does 
it."  Take  care  of  that.  If  a  thing  is  right,  it  is  right 
because  it  is  right,  and  not  because  a  thousand  people 
do  it ;  and  if  it  is  wrong,  it  is  wrong,  though  it  were 
done  by  everybody  in  the  world.  When  any  one 
speaks  to  you,  then,  in  this  way,  lift  up  your  heart. 
Think  about  God — and  then  think  about  yourself.  If 
it  is  wrong,  don't  do  it,  no  matter  how  many  may. 
Dare  to  be  a  Daniel :  when  everybody  else  bowed 
down  to  the  image,  he  would  not — he  remembered 
God,  and  God  remembered  him  for  good.  Dare  to 
be  a  Joseph :  when  he  could  have  sinned  and  got 
riches  by  it,  he  would  not,  and  God  made  it  all  up 
to  him  over  and  over  again.  Dare  to  be  like  Jesus : 
when  the  tempter  offered  Him  all  the  kingdoms  of 
the  world  and  all  the  glory  of  them  if  He  would 
only  fall  down  and  worship  him,  Jesus  would  not. 
He  dared  to  say  No !  though  all  the  world  said  Yes ! 


6o        THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

Take  your  orders  morning  by  morning  and  day  by 
day  from  Jesus,  and  whenever  you  are  in  any  doubt 
or  difficulty,  or  can't  quite  see  your  way,  refer  the 
matter  to  the  Lord,  and  He  will  give  you  the  light 
you  need.  Be  true  to  that  light ;  it  is  sent  for  yoio, 
whatever  light  may  be  sent  for  others.  "  The  fear  of 
the  Lord" — keep  that  uppermost  in  your  heart,  and 
be  guided  by  it,  and  you  will  have  the  blessing  of 
blessings — the  blessing  of  a  good  conscience — as  you 
say,  "  This  did  I,"  or  "  This  did  not  I,  because  of  the 
fear  of  the  Lord." 


XVI 
IN  THEIR  RIGHT  ORDER 

"The  child  Samuel  ministered  unto  the  Lord  before  Eli." — 
I  Sam.  iii.  i. 

This  isn't  exactly  as  most  people  would  have  put 
it.  If  they  had  seen  Samuel  trimming  the  lamps, 
or  dusting  the  benches,  or  opening  the  doors,  while 
old  Eli  looked  on,  they  would  have  said,  "  The  child 
Samuel  ministered  unto  Eli  before  the  Lord."  They 
would  have  thought  of  Eli  first — that  Samuel  was 
working  for  him,  and  attending  upon  hwi,  while  the 
Lord  looked  on.  But  that  would  have  been  a  great, 
great  mistake  about  Samuel,  though  it  would  have 
been  true  enough,  unfortunately,  of  too  many  people. 
Samuel  put  the  Lord  first  in  everything,  and  so  he 
did  whatever  he  had  to  do  as  if  he  were  doing  it 
for  God. 

This  is  the  way  you  must  set  to  work,  my  little  lads 
and  lasses,  if  ever  you  are  going  to  do  anything  right 
or  thorough  or  good.  One  of  these  days,  my  boy, 
you  will  be  leaving  school,  and  be  seeking  a  master. 
/  wouldn't,  if  I  were  you !  /  wouldn't  be  like  a 
wandering  doggie  asking  for  somebody  to  come  and 

6i 


r 


62  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

own  me :  not  I !  I  would  have  a  Master  now — and 
such  a  Master  as  I  could  be  always  with  and  be  always 
working  for,  and  be  always  able  to  look  up  to  and 
love.  I  would  have  God  for  my  Master,  and  then, 
whatever  I  had  to  do,  I  would  do  it  as  if  for  Him. 
Isn't  that  better  ?  Isn't  it  the  right  way  to  go  to  work  ? 
Ah !  if  we  think  only  of  an  earthly  master,  and  what 
will  please  him,  we  shall  never  do  the  best  work. 
The  right  way  is  to  serve  the  Lord  before  man — not 
serve  man  before  the  Lord. 

You  like  stories.     Here  is  an  interesting  one : — 

"A  new  boy  came  into  our  office  to-day,"  said  a 
.  merchant  to  his  wife  at  the  supper-table.  "  He  was 
hired  by  the  firm  at  the  request  of  the  senior  member, 
who  thought  the  boy  gave  promise  of  good  things. 
But  I  feel  sure  that  boy  will  be  out  of  the  office  in 
less  than  a  week." 

"  What  makes  you  think  so  ?  " 

"  Because  the  first  thing  he  wanted  to  know  was  just 
exactly  how  much  he  was  expected  to  do." 

"Perhaps  you  will  change  your  mind  about  him." 

"Perhaps  I  shall,"  replied  the  merchant,  "but  I 
don't  think  so." 

Three  days  later  the  business  man  said  to  his  wife, 
"  About  that  boy  you  remember  I  mentioned  three  or 
four  days  ago.  Well,  he  is  the  best  boy  that  ever 
entered  the  office." 

"  How  did  you  find  that  out  ?  " 

"  In  the  easiest  way  in  the  world.    The  first  morning 


IN  THEIR  RIGHT  ORDER  63 


after  he  began  work  he  performed  very  faithfully  and 
systematically  the  exact  duties  assigned,  which  he  had 
been  so  careful  to  have  explained  to  him.  When  he 
had  finished  he  came  to  me  and  said,  'Mr.  H.,  I 
have  finished  all  that  work.  Now  what  can  I  do  ? ' 
I  was  greatly  surprised,  but  I  gave  him  a  little  job 
of  work  and  forgot  all  about  him,  until  he  came  into 
my  room  with  the  question,  '  What  next  ? '  That 
settled  it  for  me.  He  was  the  first  boy  that  ever 
entered  our  office  who  was  willing  and  volunteered 
to  do  more  than  was  assigned  to  him.  I  predict  a 
successful  career  for  that  boy  as  a  business  man." 

Yes,  he  might  well  do  so ;  and  why  ?    Because  that 
boy  had  evidently  Samuel's  spirit :  he  did  his  work  as 
if  the  Lord  was  always  looking  on,  even  when  the  eye     i 
of  man  could  not  see  him.  \ 

It  is  this  way  of  working  that  helps  us  to  do  things 
thoroughly.  You  know  the  word  "  sincerity "  well 
enough.  But  do  you  know  what  it  really  means? 
It  means  "without  wax."  There  were  dodgers  in  the 
old  days  as  there  are  dodgers  still,  and  when  they  had 
done  a  piece  of  bad  work,  with  holes  and  flaws  and 
scratches  in  it,  they  used  to  rub  wax  into  the  cracks 
and  the  faulty  bits,  and  then  paint  them  over,  and  so 
deceive  their  master.  But  could  they  deceive  God  ? 
No ;  their  work  was  a  sin  before  Him,  as  all  scamped 
work  is  a  sin,  and  sooner  or  later  their  sin  was  sure 
to  find  them  out.  Be  sincere,  children,  be  sincere ; 
let  your  work,  whatever  it  is,  be  done  as  for  the  Lord, 


64  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

and  you  will  never  need  putty  or  wax  or  lame  excuses 
to  conceal  the  faulty  bits. 

Think  of  this  text  whenever  you  are  tempted  to  be 
slovenly  or  careless  or  unfaithful.  It  will  help  you 
to  remember  that  all  good  work  is  sacred  work.  The 
Lord  is  looking  on,  and  the  Lord  makes  use  of  every- 
thing that  is  right  and  honest  and  good ;  somebody  is 
going  to  be  helped  by  it,  or  somebody  is  going  to  be 
the  better  for  it,  and  so  God  fits  it  in  with  the  things 
that  shall  last  for  ever  and  ever.  If  you  would  grow 
strong  and  true,  then,  and  have  a  happy  heart  and 
do  good  work,  keep  your  thoughts  upon  the  Great 
Master.  Whether  it  is  learning  lessons  or  running 
errands,  or  making  or  mending,  let  it  be  your  rule  to 
serve  the  Lord  before  others,  not  serve  others  before 
the  Lord ;  and  Samuel's  portion,  Samuel's  power,  and 
Samuel's  greatness  will  be  yours  too,  for  Samuel's  God 
will  be  with  vou. 


XVII 

so   TIRED/ 

"Jesus,  being  wearied  with  'His  journey,  sat  thus  on  the  well." — 
John  iv.  6. 

He  was  so  tired !  He  had  been  walking  on  and  on 
from  the  earliest  morn,  and  seemed  to  be  very  eager 
about  something — the  disciples  couldn't  tell  what — 
and  the  sun  had  risen  higher  and  higher,  and  got 
hotter  and  hotter,  but  He  still  kept  walking  on,  till 
now  at  last,  when  the  heat  was  positively  unbearable, 
He  grew  tired.  And  there  was  the  well — Jacob's 
well.  It  was  so  sheltered  and  cool,  for  the  trees 
spread  their  branches  where  the  well  shed  its  waters. 
So  Jesus  gave  in  at  last,  and  sat  "thus "  on  the  well. 

"Thus"!  We  are  not  told  how,  but  there  is  no 
need.  We  know  how  tired  folks  rest.  It  is  "just 
anyhow."  A  stone  is  very  hard  when  you  feel  very 
strong,  but  when  you  are  thoroughly  worn  out  even 
a  granite  slab  can  feel  as  soft  as  hay.  Jacob  was 
very  tired,  you  remember,  and  he  had  a  stone  for 
his  pillow ;  but  how  soundly  he  slept !  What  a  glorious 
dream  he  had  !     Ah  yes,  my  bairnies  !  most  things  are 

6s  E 


66        THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

hard  or  soft  in  this  world,  not  because  of  what  they 
are,  but  because  of  what  we  are.  Are  we  tired  or 
fresh  ?  Are  we  proud  or  humble  ?  Are  we  loving,  or 
are  we  unkind  ?  Jesus  was  tired — so  tired  ! — and  it 
was  so  restful  to  Him  to  sit  on  the  cool  grey  stone ! 

I'm  glad  we  are  told  about  this.  Not  that  I  am 
glad  Jesus  was  tired.  Oh  no !  I  would  have  spared 
Him  if  I  could,  and  would  have  run  His  errands  for 
Him,  but  yet  I  am  glad  we  are  told  He  was  tired. 
Why?  Just  because  there  are  a  great  many  tired 
folk  in  the  world,  and  they  feel  kinder  to  Jesus  and 
like  Him  all  the  better  for  knowing  exactly  what  it 
is  to  feel  weary,  weary.  It  so  makes  Him  quite  one 
of  themselves ! 

There  is  a  man  I  know  something  about.  He 
printed  a  grand,  simple  book,  which  did  people  good 
to  read.  Then  he  printed  another,  called  "Week- 
day Religion,"  and  that,  you  know,  is  the  kind  of 
religion  we  need.  Well,  one  day  he  got  a  letter 
from  a  stranger  far  away,  saying,  "Mother,  sister  J., 
and  I  read  a  chapter  a  day,  J.  usually  reading  aloud. 
It  was  in  the  spring,  in  house-cleaning  time,  and  we 
were  very  weary  every  night.  One  evening  J.  said, 
'  Now  for  our  chapter  in  Week-day  Religion ! '  My 
feet  were  very  tired  and  sore,  and  I  said,  as  I  threw 
myself  on  the  lounge,  '  I  wonder  what  Mr.  Miller 
knows  about  tired  feet ! '  My  sister  replied  that  we 
should  see.  It  was  the  fifth  chapter — ^  Cure  for  Care ' 
— that  we  were  to  read   that   evening,  and   perhaps 


so  TIRED  f 


you  will  remember  that  the  chapter  closes  with  the 
stanza  in  which  are  these  lines  : — 

'  And  if  through  patient  toil  we  reach  the  land 
Where  tired  feet  with  sandals  loose  may  rest.' 

Was  not  that  rather  a  singular  coincidence  ?  I  am 
sure  that,  coming  as  it  did,  it  was  a  real  word  from 
God  for  me,  and  it  brought  me  new  strength  in  my 
weariness." 

Exactly  so;  and  that  is  why  I  like  to  read  that 
Jesus  was  wearied.  It  is  because  it  makes  us  know 
that  He  will  understand  and  sympathise  with  us  when 
we  are  wearied  too. 

But  what  happened  while  Jesus  was  resting  ?  This  : 
a  wearied  woman  came  to  Him.  She  wasn't  wearied 
exactly  as  He  was,  but  she  was  wearied  all  the  same — 
vfearied  of  being  naughty,  and  sinful,  and  bad — and 
wanting  to  find  some  rest  for  her  heart,  but  not 
knowing  how  to  get  it.  And  here  was  Jesus.  He 
could  teach  her  how  to  be  good  and  happy.  Yes, 
but  just  now  He  was  tired.  Perhaps  He  wouldn't 
be  troubled!  Was  it  so?  No,  no.  He  was  never 
so  tired  but  He  was  ready  to  comfort  and  help 
somebody,  and  so  He  saved  this  woman. 

That  is  the  lesson  for  us.  If  Jesus,  even  when 
He  was  weary,  kept  on  trying  to  do  good,  we  must 
do  the  same.  And  it  is  the  best  way  to  get  rest — 
by  trying  to  put  some  one  else  at  rest.  Whenever 
you  feel  very  weary,  try  to  help   some   weaker  one 


68  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

along,  and  you  will  yourself  get  fresher  and  stronger 
at  every  step  you  take.  Never  be  weary  in  well- 
doing. That  is  a  work  that  can  always  be  carried  on, 
for  if  we  are  tired  in  one  way  we  can  try  another, 
and  still  be  doing  good.  Jesus  was  not  cross  and 
peevish  because  He  was  tired,  and  neither  are  we 
except  when  we  forget  Jesus.  Then  keep  Him  in 
mind,  and  even  when  you  feel  quite  worn  out  and 
weary  you  will  still  find  some  good  to  do.  Happy 
is  the  boy,  happy  is  the  girl,  who  finds  a  joy  in  doing 
good  to  somebody  else  who  is  wearied  too,  though 
wearied,  perhaps,  in  another  way. 

"  Be  not  weary  in  well-doing,  for  in  due  season  ye 
shall  reap,  if  ye  faint  not." 


XVIII 
THE  WINDING  WAY 

"  They  went  up  with  winding  stairs." — i  Kings  vi.  8. 

And  you  have  done  the  same  many  a  time,  I  am  sure. 
Perhaps  it  was  in  the  Eound  Tower  at  Windsor,  or 
perhaps  it  was  in  the  Monument,  or  to  get  to  the 
dome  of  St  Paul's.  Any  way,  somewhere  or  other, 
some  time  or  other,  you  also  have  gone  up  the  "wind- 
ing stairs."  Then  you  will  quite  understand  the 
feelings  of  the  people,  long,  long  ago,  who  had  to  go 
up  winding  stairs  in  the  Temple  before  they  could  get 
to  some  glorious  places. 

They  would  be  often  very  disappointed  —  just  as 
you  have  beei;i.  You  thought,  didn't  you  ?  that  there 
would  only  be  a  turn  or  two  more  in  the  stairway,  and 
then  you  would  be  at  the  top.  Was  it  so,  however  ? 
No !  Up  and  up,  up  and  up,  you  had  to  go — always 
saying  to  yourself,  "Another  turn  and  I  reach  the 
last  step  ; "  but  it  wasn't  so — there  had  to  be  another 
and  another,  and  another  after  that,  and  inany  more 
again,  till  you  began  to  wonder,  most  likely,  if  this 

was  the  inside  of  the  Tower  of   Babel,  and  if  you 

69 


THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 


were  going  to  touch  the  stars !  Yes,  children ;  that 
is  always  the  way  with  the  winding  way — it  is  very 
disappointing ;  and  that  is  just  because  it  is  a  wind- 
ing way,  for  you  can  only  see  a  little  bit  at  a  time 
before  you  and  above  you,  and  sometimes  you  can't 
see  even  so  much,  for  the  darkness;  you  can  only 
trust  and  feel  your  way,  and  keep  going  up  and  up, 
always  expecting  a  step  or  two  to  bring  you  to  the 
top,  and  having  to  expect  it  still. 

Will  you  wonder  if  I  tell  you  you  are  mounting 
these  steps  now  ?  You  are  ! — you  are  !  Ask  father 
and  mother,  and  they  will  tell  you  the  same.  They 
have  been  on  them — on  them  for  a  long,  long  time. 
One  ste|)  was  yesterday,  another  step  is  to-day,  and 
another  step  is  to-morrow  ;  and  so  it  has  been  with 
them  all  their  lives^ — winding  round,  -svinding  round — 
losing  sight  of  yesterday  as  soon  as  it  was  past,  never 
able  to  see  to-morrow  till  their  feet  were  on  it,  for 
to-morrow  is  always  round  the  corner,  and  we  have 
to  turn  to  it  in  the  dark.  They  will  tell  you,  too,  of 
a  great  many  things  they  were  always  expecting  to 
reach,  which  always  seemed  to  be  quite  near,  but 
which,  somehow,  have  all  to  be  mounted  for  yet !  There 
was  a  poet  once  who  had  got  an  idea  of  these  winding 
steps,  and  hadn't  got  the  right  word  for  them — (that 
has  been  kept  for  me !) — and  he  tried  to  describe  it  all 
by  saying— 

"  Hope  springs  eternal  in  the  human  breast ; 
Man  never  is,  but  always  to  he  blessed  ! " 


THE  WINDING   WAY  71 

That  is  just  a  poet's  way  of  saying  that  when  you  are 
going  up  the  winding  stairs,  another  turn  or  two  is 
always  going  to  bring  you  to  the  end  of  your  climbing  ; 
but  it  doesn't  do  it ! 

So  much,  I  am  sure,  you  will  understand ;  but  you 
will  also  understand  that  the  people  who  went  up  the 
winding  stairs  of  the  Temple  were  often  very  tired, 
just  as  you  have  been.  I  have  been  so  sorry  some- 
times for  people  I  have  seen  on  high,  winding  ways. 
They  had  no  idea,  when  they  started,  that  the  climb 
would  be  so  long  or  so  difficult ;  but  their  hearts  were 
not  strong,  and  after  a  time  they  began  to  be  faint. 
Then,  if  they  stopped  to  rest  a  little  they  blocked 
the  way  of  the  sturdy  ones  who  were  coming  after 
them,  and  sometimes  these  were  very  pitiless,  or  very 
selfish,  or  very  thoughtless,  and  they  would  crush  past 
the  weak  ones,  or  shout  and  say  unkind  things,  till  the 
poor  souls  have  been  wretched,  wretched.  Ah  !  many  a 
time  I  have  stood  by  one  like  that  and  said,  "  Try  again ! 
— do  try — only  another  step  or  two— there  ! — another 
yet — nearly  up,  nearly  there  ! — so! — keep  brave — that's 
right ! — well  done !  "  And  do  you  know,  children,  a 
few  words  of  sympathy,  a  little  help  and  a  little  cheer, 
have  often  been  better  than  medicine  or  strength  to 
help  some  weak-hearted  one  to  get  to  the  top.  Mind 
that ;  and  all  your  life  be  ready  to  give  a  helping  hand 
or  an  encouraging  word  to  any  one  who  is  growing 
weary  or  faint  in  going  up  the  winding  way.  There's 
plenty  ready  to  push  and  thrust,  and  have  no  pity  ; 


72  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

never  you  be  like  these.  It  is  the  boy  or  the  girl  who 
is  ready  to  help  another  up  who  is  likest  Jesus,  and 
whom  Jesus  loves  best. 

These  stairs  in  the  Temple,  however  many  they  were, 
or  however  they  went  winding  about,  had  an  end  at 
last — and  then  they  led  into  such  a  beautiful  chamber, 
filled  with  light,  and  so  lovely  to  look  upon  that  the 
heart  was  satisfied  when  it  found  rest  there.  How 
small  everything  in  the  world  seemed  to  be  as  they 
looked  down  upon  it  from  these  high  windows !  Yes ; 
but  that  wasn't  the  only  room;  another  opened  out 
from  that — larger,  richer,  brighter,  better.  Ah,  my 
bairnies  !  it  is  true — true  what  Jesus  told  us :  "  In 
our  Father's  house  are  many  mansions."  It  may  be 
a  hard  climb  up  the  winding  way,  but  there  is  a  room 
at  the  top — a  room  for  you  and  a  room  for  me — which 
will  more  than  reward  us  for  all  the  climbing. 

Then  the  great  thing  is  to  find  the  proper  entrance 
to  this  winding  stair,  and  that  we  are  told  here  :  "The 
door  was  in  the  rigid  side  of  the  house."  That  is 
very  important.  Do  you  remember  what  Jesus  once 
said? — "I  am  the  Door."  There  is  no  getting  on  the 
stairs  that  lead  to  God  till  we  come  by  loving  and 
trusting  Jesus  Christ.  That  is  the  rigid  way ;  if  any 
one  comes  any  other  way,  Jesus  says  he  is  like  a  thief 
or  a  robber ;  he  has  taken  the  wrong  way  for  the 
wrong  purpose  ;  he  can  never  find  welcome  or  blessing 
at  the  end  of  the  winding  w^ay  he  has  taken.  So 
make    sure   about   Jesus,    children,    at    the    start;    it 


THE   WINDING   WAY  73 

is  through  Him  alone  any  of  us  can  get  on  the 
right  way,  or  enter  the  Hall  of  Light  in  peace  at 
last.  How  can  you  do  it?  Why,  how  do  you  enter 
the  doorway  that  leads  to  any  winding  steps  ?  Isn't 
it  by  faith  ?  You  can't  see  all  the  steps  that  are 
before  you ;  you  can't  see  yet  the  beautiful  rooms 
that  are  at  the  top,  but  you  believe  they  are  there, 
and  that  the  steps  lead  to  them  ;  and  so  you  enter 
the  doorway  in  faith.  Do  the  same  with  Jesus ;  trust 
Him,  believe  what  He  says,  set  yourself  to  do  what 
He  bids  you  ;  that  is  faith,  and  faith  in  Jesus  is  the 
way  to  God. 

Only  one  other  thing,  children,  would  I  like  you  to 
keep  very  clear  in  your  minds.  These  winding  stairs 
were  a  part  of  God's  great  house.  That  made  the 
whole  way  and  everything  in  it  very  sacred,  did  it 
not?  Sometimes  the  winding  way  was  dark,  some- 
times it  was  bright ;  sometimes  the  one  who  was 
climbing  would  feel  strong  and  bold,  and  sometimes 
he  would  feel  weak  and  afraid ;  but  all  the  time  it 
was  the  way  he  should  go — and  it  was  all  in  the 
Father's  house.  Keep  that  in  mind,  my  lads  and 
lasses,  and  it  will  help  you  a  deal  when  you  grow 
up,  and  have  to  meet  with  all  sorts  of  strange  things 
in  the  world.  You  will  have  joy  and  you  will  have 
sorrow,  sad  times  and  glad  times,  things  you  would 
wish  for  and  things  you  wouldn't ;  but  if  you  have 
entered  by  the  right  door,  if  you  have  put  your  trust 
in  Jesus,  all  these  things  will  be  very  good  and  very 


74        THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

sacred  to  you,  for  they  will  all  be  found  to  help  you 
up,  higher  and  better,  in  your  Father's  house.  Learn 
to  look  on  the  world  and  everything  in  it  as  a  part 
of  God's  great  house,  and  you  will  be  safe  there — 
safe,  quite  safe,  while  every  day  you  are  trying  to 
get  up  higher  and  nearer  to  the  room  that  is  waiting 
for  you — your  place  with  God. 


XIX 
HOPING  AND  WAITING 

"  It  is  good  that  a  man  should  both  hope  aud  quietly  wait  for  the 
salvation  of  the  Lord." — Lam.  iii.  26. 

Hoping  and  waiting — these  are  two  of  the  biggest 
things  that  anybody  can  do,  and  two  of  the  hardest 
to  learn.  But  we  must  learn  them  and  must  do  them 
if  we  would  find  the  salvation  of  the  Lord. 

Do  you  know  what  it  is  to  hope  for  a  thing?  It 
is  to  keep  brave  and  expect  it,  even  though  you 
haven't  got  it  yet,  and  there  is  nothing  to  show  how 
you  are  to  get  it.  When  the  farmer  puts  the  seed 
in  the  ground  in  the  spring-time,  it  is  because  he 
hopes  by  the  end  of  the  summer  to  have  a  great  crop 
of  wheat.  But  he  doesn't  see  the  wheat  yet :  he  has 
not  got  it ;  he  can  only  hope  and  quietly  wait  for  it. 
And  some  days  it  will  be  very  hard  for  him  to  hope. 
Storms  will  come,  and  floods  of  water  will  run  down 
the  furrows,  and  there  will  be  fear  that  the  seeds  will 
be  rotted  away.  Or  snow  and  hailstones  will  fall 
just  when  the  tassels  are  coming  out,  and  then  it 
will  look  as  if  there  could  be  no  harvest.  The  farmer 
is    sad    and   troubled    sometimes,    but   he   hopes    on, 


76  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

and  at  last,  through  all  the  risks  and  all  the  troubles, 
the  autumn  comes,  and  the  harvest  is  gathered  safe 
home.  It  is  his  hoping,  hoping,  always  hoping,  that 
keeps  up  his  heart. 

It  is  the  same  with  us  and  everything  in  the  world. 
There  is  a  risk  about  it  all.  Yes,  children,  there  is 
nothing  great  or  grand  or  good  in  the  world  but  you 
must  run  risks  to  get  it.  Why,  what  a  big  risk  baby 
takes  when  he  is  good  enough  to  come  among  us !  He 
can't  do  anything  for  himself:  he  can't  feed  him- 
self ;  he  can't  clothe  himself ;  he  can't  even  ask  for 
what  he  wants.  What  a  big  risk  he  runs  of  being 
starved  to  death !  I  don't  know  how  many  diseases 
there  are  in  the  world,  but  he  may  catch  any  of  them 
and  be  killed.  I  don't  know  how  many  sorts  of  acci- 
dents might  occur,  but  any  of  them  might  happen 
to  him.  He  has  to  risk  all  that.  What  keeps  him 
here  ?  What  prevents  him  from  running  away  back 
again  to  where  he  came  from  ?  It  is  hope  :  in  spite  of 
all  the  risks  he  has  to  run,  he  hopes  to  be  able  to  dodge 
them  all  and  get  safe  through. 

And  you  ?  You  never  go  through  a  single  day  with- 
out running  hundreds  and  hundreds  of  risks.  It  is 
very  easy  for  you  to  run  out  of  the  way  of  a  carriage, 
but  what  if  your  ankle  suddenly  gave  way  ?  It  is  very 
pleasant  to  walk  along  the  street,  but  what  if  the  wind 
blows  down  a  chimney  -  pot  or  slate  on  your  head  ? 
Why,  there  is  hardly  a  moment  we  live  but  we  are 
running  some  risk :    a  snifiE  from  a  drain,  a  careless 


HOPING  AND  WAITING  77 

step,  or  a  bit  of  a  chill,  when  we  are  not  very  strong, 
and  we  are  gone.  What  keeps  us  up?  What  helps 
us  to  live  ?    It  is  hope,  simple  hope. 

And  that  is  how  ships  get  over  the  seas  and  into 
the  harbour  at  last.  They  meet  with  storms  and 
calms,  sunken  rocks  and  drifting  wrecks,  and  many 
other  things  that  might  do  them  harm ;  but  they  take 
all  risk,  and  so  they  do  something  at  last.  Everything 
in  the  world  is  a  risk,  and  the  only  thing  that  can 
keep  you  up  is  hope.  So  hope  on,  hope  ever,  keep  a 
stout  heart,  and  trust  in  God. 

And  especially  about  being  saved.  Some  people 
are  frightened  to  begin  to  go  on  God's  way,  and  to 
say  boldly  that  they  belong  to  Jesus.  They  look  along 
the  road,  and  they  see  so  many  dangers,  so  many 
temptations,  so  many  snares,  that  they  are  afraid  if 
they  begin  they  will  never  be  able  to  end.  They 
forget  that  they  won't  have  to  meet  these  dangers 
and  temptations  and  snares  all  at  once,  but  only 
one  at  a  time ;  it  is  wonderful  when  we  come  to  a 
difficulty  how  hope  can  guide  us  through  it.  So  do 
not  be  afraid,  children,  of  not  getting  to  heaven 
because  of  anything  that  can  happen  on  earth. 
Trust  in  the  Lord,  and  hope  on,  hope  on  still.  It 
will  sometimes  be  hard  to  do  it;  I  know  things 
will  be  dark,  and  the  road  will  be  rough,  and  per- 
haps you  yourself  will  be  a  bit  weak  and  tired;  but 
if  your  hope  is  in  the  Lord,  and  not  in  yourself, 
never  be  afraid,  but  go  on — He  will  carry  you  through. 


78  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

Hope,  that  is  the  first  thing,  the  great  thing,  the  heart 
of  it  all. 

But  wait — that  is  the  next  thing.  "  What  was  the 
hardest  bit  of  the  battle  ?  "  I  asked  an  old  soldier  once 
who  had  been  in  a  great  and  terrible  fight.  I  expected 
him  to  say  it  was  when  the  guns  began  to  blaze,  or 
when  the  cavalry  came  riding  down,  or  when  the 
swords  were  slashing  wildly  all  around.  But  no ! 
"  The  hardest  bit  of  the  battle,"  he  said,  "  was  wait- 
ing for  the  battle  to  begin."  You  will  often  find  it 
harder  to  wait  than  to  work. 

The  Eev.  William  Gray,  when  he  was  in  the  Alps, 
visited  a  glacier  grotto  that  was  reached  by  a  tunnel 
bored  through  the  solid  ice.  "As  we  penetrated  into 
the  chilly  depths,"  he  says,  "away  from  the  outside 
sunshine  that  flooded  valley  and  peak,  the  light  became 
dimmer  and  dimmer,  and  when  we  stood  in  the  narrow 
chamber  at  the  end  of  the  passage,  the  darkness  was 
as  black  as  pitch.  'Wait,'  said  the  guide,  'and  in 
five  minutes  you  shall  see  light  clearly.'  We  waited, 
and  it  was  just  as  he  had  told  us.  Yet  no  lamp  was 
lit,  no  match  was  struck.  What  happened  was  this : 
as  the  eye  got  accustomed  to  its  new  surroundings, 
the  atmosphere  gradually  brightened,  the  walls  and 
the  roof  of  the  grotto  glimmered  into  pure  translucent 
green,  and  in  the  clear  soft  light  that  encircled  us  we 
could  recognise  the  faces  of  our  companions,  and  read 
the  smallest  type  in  our  guide-books." 

That  is  what  waiting  can  do.     It  can  open  our  eyes 


HOPING  AND  WAITING  79 

to  see  things  we  conld  not  see  before,  to  see  the 
beautiful  things  of  God  that  are  all  around  us,  but 
which  only  patient,  waiting  eyes  can  see.  Ah !  I  have 
known  people  laid  aside  by  sickness,  and  known  people 
baffled  and  troubled,  not  knowing  which  way  to  turn, 
everything  was  so  dark,  dark  round  about  them ;  but 
when  at  last  they  stopped  striving,  and  simply  waited, 
waited  on  God,  then  the  light  came,  and  they  saw 
God's  kindness,  and  loved  Him  more  and  better  for 
the  quiet  waiting  time  He  pressed  upon  them. 

So,  children,  though  you  may  not  know  all  that 
is  in  these  words  as  father  and  mother  know  them, 
yet  learn  them,  keep  them  in  your  heart,  and  again 
and  again  in  your  lifetime  you  will  find  that  "it  is 
good  both  to  hope  and  quietly  wait  for  the  salvation 
of  the  Lord." 


XX 

THE  MAGIC  CRYSTAL 

"Now  we  see  through  a  glass,  darkly;  but  then  face  to  face." — 
I  COE.  xiii.  12. 

What  a  lot  of  things  we  want  to  know !  We  begin 
by  wanting  to  know  "how  the  wheels  go  round,"  and 
then,  as  we  get  older,  we  want  to  know  how  the 
world  goes  round,  why  it  does  it,  and  what  it  is  all 
for.  We  want  to  know  all  about  this  world,  and  we 
also  want  to  know  all  about  the  next.  How  are  we 
to  learn  about  these  things?  That  is  just  what  the 
Apostle  is  trying  to  show  us. 

He  says  we  can  see  something  about  them  all  now, 
but  it  is  darkly,  as  if  we  were  looking  in  a  kind  of 
mirror.  You  children  understand  what  he  means. 
You  read  fairy  tales,  and  poetry,  and  other  things 
that  are  good,  so  you  know  all  about  Merlin  and 
other  great  and  wise  magicians.  Do  you  remember 
how  they  came  to  see  things  that  were  far  away, 
and  tell  what  was  going  to  happen,  and  what  things 
had  been  done?  It  was  by  their  wonderful  crystal 
globe. 

There  was  the  round  glass  ball  as  clear  as  a  foun- 

80 


THE  MAGIC  CRYSTAL  8i 

tain,  without  a  speck  or  a  flaw,  but  as  the  magician 
gazed  upon  it  it  grew  dim,  as  if  the  mists  were 
going  up  within  it ;  and  then,  as  he  gazed  and  gazed, 
the  mists  would  clear  away,  and  there,  on  the  crystal 
mirror,  he  would  see  all  that  he  wanted  to  know, 
whether  it  was  about  things  far  off  or  near,  things 
past  or  things  to  come.  'Twas  very  wonderful.  That 
crystal  globe  must  have  been  long  since  broken  or 
lost,  for  nobody  has  it  now.  It  has  vanished,  like  the 
magicians  themselves. 

But  we  have  a  mirror  that  is  like  it,  though  some- 
thing different.  It  is  the  Bible.  As  we  look  into 
it  reverently,  lovingly,  prayerfully,  we  see  more  and 
more,  better  and  clearer,  all  we  want  to  know  about 
God,  and  ourselves;  about  the  world,  and  what  it  is 
for ;  about  life  and  death,  and  everything  we  need 
to  learn.  Make  much  of  your  Bible.  It  is  the 
grandest  possession  you  ever  can  have.  Oh,  the 
happy,  happy  times  I  have  had  with  it  in  some 
quiet  corner !  What  beautiful  visions  I  have  seen  in 
it!  What  great  things  I  have  learnt  from  it!  The 
real  magician — the  one  who  is  really  wise — is  the 
boy  or  girl,  the  man  or  woman,  who  loves  to  look 
much  and  often  into  this  mirror,  for  these  come  to 
learn  there  what  never  can  be  seen  or  learnt  anywhere 
else — the  love  and  the  wisdom  of  God  working  through 
everything. 

But  there  is  another  meaning  this  text  may  have. 
When   it   says   we    see    "darkly"    or   dimly   in    this 


82  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 


mirror,  it  means  that  it  all  looks  like  "a  riddle." 
That  is  the  word  you  find  in  the  margin — "a  riddle." 
And  things  do  look  like  that  very  often.  So  many 
strange  things  hajDpen  we  can't  account  for,  such 
wonderful  things  are  done  which  we  can't  explain, 
that  when  we  look  up  to  the  stars,  and  then  think 
of  where  we  were  born,  and  wonder  where  we  shall 
die ;  when  we  see  how  much  sorrow  there  is  in  the 
world,  yet  how  much  beauty  and  goodness  too,  and 
how  things  often  go  wrong  when  you  meant  them 
to  go  right,  and  how  they  sometimes  turn  out  good 
though  you  never  intended  it,  then  it  all  looks  like 
a  riddle !  Will  you  give  it  up  ?  Some  do.  They 
grow  weary,  poor  things,  of  trying  to  puzzle  it  all 
out.  But  they  grow  weary  because  they  don't  take 
the  right  way ;  that's  all.  How  simple  the  most  diffi- 
cult riddle  becomes  when  you  have  found  it  out ! 
Would  you  like  to  find  out  this  riddle? — the  riddle 
about  everything?  I  can  tell  you  how.  It  is  by 
loving  and  trusting  Jesus  Christ,  and  trying  to  live 
like  Him.  For  it  is  said,  and  the  word  is  true,  "  The 
secret  of  the  Lord  is  with  them  that  fear  Him."  They 
have  the  key  to  the  riddle  :  everything  is  made  simple 
to  the  one  who  lives  loving  and  trusting  Jesus. 

Would  you  wish  to  be  wise?  "The  fear  of  the 
Lord  is  the  beginning  of  wisdom."  Give  Jesus  your 
heart :  learn  from  Him  ;  trust  Him,  and  He  will  teach 
you  the  secret  of  life — open  up  to  you  the  good 
meaning   of   God   in   every  dark   riddle   or   difficulty 


THE  MAGIC  CRYSTAL  83 

you  shall  ever  have  to  meet.  So,  whenever  there 
is  anything  too  hard  for  you  to  imderstand,  go  to 
Jesus,  and  tell  Him  all  about  it  in  prayer,  and  then, 
when  prayer  has  cleansed  your  eyes  and  prepared 
your  heart,  turn  to  the  crystal  mirror  of  His  Word : 
there  you  will  get  the  light,  the  vision,  the  guidance 
you  need,  and  so  be  made  wise,  and  wiser  still  for 
His  full  salvation  in  the  end,  when  you  shall  see  Him, 
as  He  sees  you  now — "  face  to  face." 


XXI 

SPRIN  G-TIME 

"The  flowers  appear  on  the  earth."— Song  of  Sol.  ii.  12. 

I  CAME  tramping  along  the  quiet  country  lane  in  the 

sweet,  sweet  Easter-time,  thinking  many  thoughts  all 

about  the  busy  crowded  city  I  had  left  far  away.     I 

was  there  still.     Yes;   often  and  often  when  we  say 

we  shall  leave  all  work  and  care  behind  us  we  are 

surprised  to  find  it  is  not  the   case.     Even  when  we 

are  in  the  country  our  minds  keep  making  excursions 

backwards  and  forwards  to  the   city,  without  taking 

a  railway-ticket  or  needing  the  train  at  all.     But  all 

at  once  the  city  was  forgotten,  and  I  was  really — mind 

and   body  both   together  —  in   the    country,   and  the 

country  only.     For  there  was  an  almond-tree  before 

me  with  all  its  blossoms  out,  and  it  stood  against  a 

ploughed  field  where  everything  was  bleak  and  bare, 

as  much  as  to  say,  "The  Spring   has  come!   oh  yes, 

the  Spring  has  come !    My  banners  are  out,  and  these 

brown  fields  will  soon  be  green,  and  the  gardens  will 

soon  be  gay  !    The  Spring  has  come  !  " 

So  I  watched  for  the   Spring  as  I  tramped  along. 
84 


SPRING-TIME  ,  85 


The  road  was  thick  with  dust — grey  dust — for  it  was 
a  chalky  land,  and  the  east  wind  was  blowing,  keen 
but  kind,  while  the  sun  was  scattering  the  warm  gold 
everywhere.  I  looked  on  the  hedges,  and  saw  the 
Spring  had  been  there  before  me,  for  tiny  green  buds 
were  dotted  all  over  them,  but  the  Spring  had  left 
no  footprints  in  the  dust.  I  looked  through  the 
railings  of  a  great  wide  garden,  and  there  were  the 
crocuses,  like  little  shootlets  of  flame ;  and  snowdrops, 
like  winter's  leavings  ;  and  primroses — oh !  the  prim- 
roses ! — and  daffodils  ! — and  the  red  currant  was  taking 
its  tint,  and  the  willow  in  the  corner  was  putting  out 
its  fuzzy  burrs — so  I  knew  the  Spring  had  come  there. 
As  I  went  on  the  dusty  road  again  I  looked  into 
the  hedge-banks  on  the  sunny  side,  and  there  they 
were  —  my  sweet  little  pets  come  back  again  —  the 
celandine,  the  wild  hyacinth,  shepherd's  purse,  the 
speedwell,  and  oh,  so  many  more ! — and  I  knew  the 
Spring  must  have  strolled  along  this  road  before  me. 
There  was  no  fence  round  the  little  patch  in  front  of 
the  poor  widow's  cottage,  and  there  was  an  ugly  little 
shrub,  squinting  every  way,  as  if  it  were  always  afraid 
of  being  pulled  up  and  thrown  away,  yet  the  green 
buds  were  starting  all  over  it ;  and  on  the  window- 
sill  there  was  an  old  cracked  j^ot  with  a  cowslip 
coming  up — the  one  that  had  been  planted  by  the 
poor  lame  boy  who  had  lived  with  the  old  woman  for 
a  week  last  summer.  The  Spring  had  kissed  it  too  and 
made  it  beautiful  as  she  passed ! 


86        THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

I  strolled  along  very  slowly  after  that,  for  I  had 
now  a  great  many  thoughts  to  carry  with  me.  The 
Spring  was  everywhere,  and  everywhere  it  was  like 
God  Himself.  Wherever  it  came  it  brought  life  and 
beauty.  It  made  no  difference  :  it  made  the  rich  man's 
garden  beautiful,  but  it  left  a  blessing  also  on  the 
poor  widow's  bit  of  ground ;  it  made  the  sap  rush 
strong  and  glad  in  the  great  tall  trees,  but  it  also 
touched  with  a  kindly  touch  the  root  that  the  little 
lame  child  had  planted.  It  made  no  difference  :  wher- 
ever there  was  that  which  wanted  it,  there  it  came, 
and  came  with  a  blessing. 

That  is  just  the  way  with  Jesus  Christ.  He  makes 
no  difference  between  high  and  low,  or  rich  and  poor, 
or  young  and  old — everybody  is  dear  to  Him  alike ; 
and  wherever  there  is  any  one  who  wants  Him,  there 
He  comes,  and  then  the  spring-time  of  that  soul  has 
begun.  You  can  always  tell  where  He  has  been,  just 
as  you  can  tell  when  the  Spring  has  come.  The  signs 
are  the  same.  First  there  is  life — new  life — a  life  that 
grows  upward  and  seeks  for  the  hght.  Where  the 
heart  was  cold  before  it  now  becomes  loving  and  warm ; 
and  the  prayer  goes  up  from  it  now  as  fragrance  goes 
from  a  flower.  Wherever  Christ  comes  the  soul  begins 
to  live  in  the  love  of  God. 

After  that,  of  course,  there  comes  hcanty,  which  is 
the  blossom  of  the  praying  soul.  It  is  a  beauty  like 
Christ's  own — the  beauty  of  pure  thoughts  and  loving 
deeds  ;  the  beauty  of  patience,  and  of  truthfulness,  and 


SPRING-TIME  87 


of  charity ;  the  beauty  of  the  Lord  Himself,  who  has 
loved  it  into  life.  And  then,  of  course,  by-and-by, 
there  comes  the  fridt.  The  leaves  are  beautiful,  the 
flowers  are  beautiful ;  but  they  are  all  meant  to  get 
things  ready  for  fruit  in  the  autumn.  The  fruit  is 
everything,  and  that  is  how  it  must  be  with  us  all  at 
the  last. 

Children  dear,  this  is  the  Spring-time  with  you. 
You  are  young,  you  are  little ;  but  in  every  one  of 
you  there  is  a  heart  Jesus  loves  and  wants  to  be  loved 
by  again.  Whose  shall  it  be? — His  or  yours?  Will 
you  keep  it  for  yourself,  or  will  you  say,  "Dear  Lord, 
take  it  and  keep  it  for  Thyself  "  ?  Say  that  and  mean 
it,  and  the  Lord  will  put  His  blessing  on  it — the  bless- 
ing of  life ;  and  when  the  spring  has  passed,  and  the 
summer  has  gone,  and  the  autumn  has  come,  all  the 
fruit  shall  be  gathered  for  eternity,  and  it  shall  be  all 
yours — all  yours — just  because  it  is  all  Christ's  too. 

The  Lord  is  near  you  now  ;  may  He  hear  every  heart 
wish  for  His  blessing ! 


XXII 

SOWING  AND  REAPING 

"A  sower  went  forth  to  sow." — Matt,  xiii.  3. 

Just  so  :  and  it  might  have  been  you  or  me !  For 
everybody  is  sowing  seeds  of  one  sort  or  another, 
even  when  he  doesn't  know  it.  How  are  the  tiniest 
islands  on  the  loneliest  seas  covered  with  grass  and 
trees  and  graceful  ferns  and  creeping  plants  ?  Because 
the  bees  and  the  birds  have  carried  seeds  with  them 
when  they  didn't  know  it.  And  whether  we  mean 
it  or  not,  we  are  always  planting  something,  and  that 
something  grows.  If  we  have  planted  what  is  bad, 
bad  will  come  of  it ;  if  we  have  planted  what  is  good, 
good  will  come  of  it.  The  good  or  the  bad  things 
which  we  speak  and  do  are  the  seeds  we  are  sowing, — 
and  they  grow  ! — they  grow  ! 

The  first  thing,  then,  we  must  look  to  is — to  choose 
good  seed.  We  can  have  it :  it  is  all  stored  up  for 
us  in  God's  Book — for  every  good  word  it  gives  us, 
every  kind  thought  it  puts  into  our  heart,  everything  it 
says  which  can  cheer  and  help  us  and  cheer  and  help 
others,  all  that  is  good  seed  which  God  gives.  Then 
we  must  sow  it,  and  must  try  to  sow  nothing  but  it. 


SOWING  AND  REAPING  89 

Let  me  tell  you  something  which  perhaps  you  don't 
know.  The  best  time  f 07'  sowing  is  when  the  mist  is  on 
the  ground.  The  wisest  sowers  will  tell  you  this. 
They  don't  see  where  the  seed  is  falling,  but  they 
scatter  it  about;  they  know  that  the  mist  which 
hides  from  them  where  the  seed  has  fallen  is  yet  a 
very  kindly,  motherly  mist,  which  will  kiss  the  seed 
with  moist  and  loving  lips,  and  kiss  it  into  life.  And 
so  they  sow — in  faith. 

You  must  learn  to  do  the  same.  Be  kind  wher- 
ever and  whenever  you  get  the  chance,  not  only  to 
the  people  you  know  and  meet  with  at  home  or  school, 
but  also  to  strangers  and  the  poor  folk  you  must 
meet  everywhere.  Sow  your  seed  in  the  mist:  "scatter 
seeds  of  kindness "  even  when  you  can't  see  where 
they  are  going :  sow  in  faith,  just  for  Jesus'  sake, 
and  one  day,  when  the  mists  have  all  vanished,  and 
the  sun  is  bright,  and  the  Beautiful  Day  of  God  has 
come,  angel  upon  angel  will  pass  you  by  with  a  golden 
sickle  in  his  hand  and  a  goodly  sheaf  pressed  to  his 
bosom,  and  with  a  smile  he  will  whisper  as  he  goes 
up  to  God :  "  This  is  yours,  all  yours,  and  yours  for 
ever,  for  it  was  your  hand  that  sowed  the  good  seed." 

What  a  reward  for  faith  !  What  a  wonder  !  What 
a  blessing !  Then  "  scatter  seeds  of  kindness  "  :  do  it 
in  faith :  do  it  for  Jesus'  sake.  When  the  harvest 
comes  your  heart  will  be  rich — rich  beyond  anything 
you  can  dream  of  now. 


XXIII 
YOU  AND  I  AND  EVERYBODY 

"A  wise  man's  heart  is  at  his  right  hand :  but  a  fool's  heart  at 
his  left." — EocLES.  x.  2. 

Yes,  I  know  what  you  want  to  do !     You  want  to  slip 

your  hand  about  to  find  where  your  heart  is !      And 

the  old  folks  want  to  do  it  too,  only  they  are  a  little 

afraid  of  what  they  might  discover.      It  is  perfectly 

astonishing,  when  you  come  to  think  of  it,  how  few 

people    know    where    their    heart    really    is.       Most 

business  men,  when  they  mean  to  lay  their  hand  on 

their  heart,  put  it  on  their  pocket-book,  and,  strange 

to   say,  they  generally   carry  that    on   the    left    side ! 

That's  somewhat  odd,  is  it  not  ?  considering  what  this 

text   says.      And    there   are   some   ladies  who   never 

speak  about  their  heart  without  smoothing  their  dress, 

or  stroking  their  gloves,  or  touching  up  their  hair — 

as  if  they  weren't  quite  sure  where  their  heart  was. 

And  perhaps  they  are  not,  for  a  lady's  heart  is  very 

peculiar;    it   even   gets   lost   sometimes — and   so   the 

text  doesn't  venture  to  say  anything  at  all  about  it. 

It  speaks  only  about  the  heart  of  a  wise  man  and  the 

heart  of  a  foolish  one. 

90 


YOU  AND  I  AND  EVERYBODY  91 

Where  are  these  placed  ?  There  it  is,  as  plain  as 
print:  "A  wise  man's  heart  is  at  his  right  hand:  but 
a  fool's  heart  at  his  left."  Now  try  where  yours  is. 
I  know  where  mine  is,  and  it  makes  me  blush  a  bit  to 
acknowledge  it,  but  I  really  can't  help  it.  My  heart 
is  on  the  left  side !  Where  is  yours  ?  On  the  left 
side  too?  And  yours?  and  yours?  and  yours? 
What?  not  one  of  us  got  his  heart  on  the  right 
side,  where  a  wise  man's  heart  must  be !  That  does 
take  the  conceit  out  of  us,  does  it  not  ?  Not  one  wise 
person  among  us  !     It  is  rather  a  take-down. 

But  did  you  ever  meet  anybody  yet  who  had  his 
heart  on  the  right  side  ?  /  never  did,  and  I  don't 
think  you  ever  did  either.  Everybody  has  his  heart 
on  the  left — there  or  thereabouts.  When  you  meet 
with  the  one  who  has  his  heart  on  the  right  side,  you 
may  consider  yourself  fortunate,  for  then,  but  not  till 
then,  will  you  have  met  with  a  person  who  is  perfectly 
wise. 

That  is  just  what  the  text  wants  to  teach  us,  and 
teach  us  in  a  quiet,  kindly  way,  with  a  little  twinkle 
in  the  eye,  as  it  were,  while  it  is  speaking.  It  wants 
us  to  understand  that  there  is  nobody  perfectly  wise ; 
there  is  a  good  deal  of  foolishness  in  everybody. 

Some  people  know  this,  and  some  people  don't — 
and  these  are  the  most  foolish  of  all.  That  is  the 
kind  of  person  the  next  verse  speaks  about.  Hear 
what  it  says : — '•  Yea,  also,  when  he  that  is  a  fool 
walketh  by  the  wav.  his  wisdom  faileth  him,  and  he 


92  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 


saith  to  every  one  that  he  is  a  fool."  We  have  some- 
times seen  people  like  that;  peo]ole  that  hold  their 
heads  very  high,  and  who  think  a  great  deal  of  them- 
selves, and  who  look  down  on  everybody  else  as  being 
very  foolish — very  foolish  indeed — while  all  the  time 
the  fool's-cap  is  on  their  own  head,  and  everybody  sees 
it  but  themselves. 

Then,  children,  this  is  what  we  must  learn : — 

(i.)  That  there  is  nobody  perfectly  wise.  You  are 
not,  I  am  not,  the  oldest  isn't,  and  even  the  youngest 
has  something  yet  to  learn.  Get  that  lesson  well  off, 
then  you  will  be  ready  for  the  next. 

(2.)  To  be  very  strict  about  yourself,  and  very  chari- 
table about  other  people.  It  is  very  amusing  to  hear 
the  pot  call  the  kettle  black,  but  it  is  very  sad  to  see 
one  foolish  person  despising  another.  The  boy  in  the 
top  form  may  know  a  good  deal  more  than  the  boy  in 
the  lower  one,  but  he  has  yet  a  lot  to  learn  before  he 
can  come  up  to  the  master.  Conceit  always  proves 
ignorance,  for  it  shows  you  are  measuring  yourself 
by  somebody  who  hasn't  had  a  chance  to  know  better, 
rather  than  by  somebody  who  has  learnt  a  great  deal 
more  than  you  have.  So  be  charitable  and  make 
allowances  for  people,  for  every  day,  though  you  may 
not  know  it,  somebody  has  to  make  allowances  for  you. 
Don't  waste  your  time  in  trying  to  find  the  perfectly 
wise  man  or  boy.  You  won't  find  him ;  no,  not  even 
when  you  look  in  the  mirror ! 

(3.)  Then,  be  humble.     Though  there  is  a  good  deal 


YOU  AND  I  AND  EVERYBODY  93 

of  foolishness  in  every  one,  never  forget  that  there  is 
a  good  bit  of  wisdom  too.  I  never  met  a  person  yet 
who  couldn't  teach  me  something  I  never  knew  before 
and  that  was  well  worth  the  learning.  Try  to  find 
that  out ;  if  it  is  only  a  little  gem  in  a  bushel  of  dust, 
you  will  be  richer  and  better  for  searching  it  out.  Be 
ready  to  learn  from  everybody,  by  never  forgetting 
that  your  own  heart  also  is  on  the  left  side. 

(4.)  And  the  best  way  to  carry  this  humble,  kind, 
and  charitable  heart,  so  as  really  to  grow  wiser  and 
wiser  every  day,  is  by  always  looking  up  and  keeping 
mind  of  Jesus.  He  alone  is  the  all- wise  One,  and  yet 
how  He  puts  up  with  us  and  our  foolishness  day  after 
day !  Ah !  when  we  think  of  Him  we  have  all  to 
hang  our  heads  very  low.  Then  think  of  Him,  and 
think  much  of  Him,  for  the  humble  head  makes  the 
wise  heart  at  last,  for  it  makes  us  loving,  and  pitiful, 
and  helpful  to  everybody.  Whenever  you  are  tempted, 
then,  to  think  proud,  conceited,  or  hard  and  unchari- 
table thoughts  about  anybody,  just  find  out  where  your 
own  heart  is,  and  it  may  help  to  make  you  kinder  and 
better — and  more  like  Jesus. 


XXIA' 

GIVING  AND  GETTING 

-'  All  things  come  of  Thee,  and  of  Thine  own  have  we  given  Thee." 
—  I  CuEON.  xxix.  14. 

Down  at  the  foot  of  the  great  hills  there  was  a  little 
hollow  in  a  valley;  no  grass  grew  there,  for  the  clay 
was  hard,  and  the  ground  was  very  dry.  But  there 
came  a  cloud,  and  it  hung  over  the  hollow,  and  dropped 
down  its  rain  upon  it,  and  filled  it.  And  the  hollow 
was  so  pleased,  so  glad,  and  so  thankful,  because  now 
it  was  no  longer  empty.  And  the  sun  came  forth  and 
asked  for  a  drink,  and  the  little  pool  gave  it  gladly, 
though  it  had  now  less  water  than  it  had  before.  But 
the  clouds  came  over  it  again  and  filled  it — fuller  than 
ever — and  the  sun  returned  and  asked  for  a  drink, 
and  the  pool  gave  it  gladly  and  brightly  again — glad 
that  it  had  something  to  give  to  the  sun. 

And  so  it  went  on,  day  after  day,  month  after  month, 
and  the  clouds  filled  the  pool,  and  the  pool  gave 
from  its  fulness  to  the  sun,  till  the  pool  became  larger 
and  larger,  and  became  a  great  lake.  Then  it  grew 
proud  and  haughty  because  it  had  now  become  great, 

and  one  day,  when  the  sun  asked  again  for  a  drink, 

94 


GIVING  AND  GETTING  95 


the  lake  said,  "No,  I  cannot  afford  it.  I  want  to 
keep  all  that  I  have  to  myself  till  I  become  like  the 
sea."  And  the  sun  turned  away  its  beams,  and 
there  was  no  longer  any  sparkle  or  brightness  on  the 
water;  and  the  clouds  hovered  above  it,  but  drifted 
away,  and  dropped  no  more  rain ;  and  the  lake  grew 
stagnant  and  foul,  and  the  beautiful  things  that  had 
been  living  in  it  died  away  one  by  one ;  and  the  lake 
that  had  been  so  bright  and  happy  was  wretched  and 
miserable.  It  called  to  the  brooks,  but  they  said  thej 
could  not  help  it — they  could  only  give  what  the 
clouds  gave  to  them.  Then  it  called  to  the  clouds, 
but  they  said  they  could  do  nothing  for  it — they  could 
only  give  what  the  sun  gave  to  them,  and  could  only 
give  it  where  the  sun  commanded  them. 

Then  the  poor  stagnant  little  lake  found  out  that 
all  that  it  had  it  had  got  through  the  kindness  of  the 
sun  that  made  the  clouds.  Oh,  how  sorry,  sorry — 
how  ashamed  was  the  lake  then  at  what  it  had  done 
in  refusing  to  give  a  drink  to  the  sun  that  had  given 
it  all  that  it  had  ! 

That  is  the  story,  children  ;  I  leave  you  to  find  out 
the  meaning  yourselves ;  only  saying  this :  All  things 
come  from  God,  and  what  we  give  to  Him  we  can 
give  only  because  He  has  first  given  it  to  us,  and  all 
that  we  keep  back  from  Him  when  He  asks  us  to  give 
always  works  harm,  and  evil,  and  loss  for  us  in  the  end. 
It  is  as  we  give  to  God  we  get  from  God  ;  as  we  honour 
Him  He  honours  us. 


XXV 

LAMP  AND  OIL 

"They  that  were  foolish  took  their  lamps,  and  took  no  oil  with 
them  :  but  the  wise  took  oil  in  their  vessels  with  their  lamps." — 
Matt.  xxv.  3,  4. 

Which  is  worst — a  lamp  without  oil,  or  oil  without  a 

lamp  ?     It  is  not  easy  to  say  off-hand.     The  lamp  may 

be  very  beautiful,  very  costly,  very  fine,  but  if  there  is 

no  oil  in  it  there  can  be  no  light,  and  that  is  the  point. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  oil  may  be  the  very  best,  the 

very  purest,  and  the  very  clearest,  but  if  you   have 

nothing  to  keep  it  in  and  draw  it  properly  to  the  wick, 

you  can't  have  a  steady  light  to  help  you  along  the 

road.     Of  course,  you  could  set  fire  to  the  oil  itself 

and  have  a  big  flare-up,  but  that  wouldn't  do  for  any 

one  who  wants  to  pick  his  way  along  a  dark  road,  or 

guide  others,  or  take  part  in  a  happy  procession. 

Both  are  bad — the  lamp  without  the  oil,  and  the  oil 

without   the   lamp.     There   is   a   question   tiny   little 

children  are  often  asked,  because  grown-up  folks  think 

it  will  puzzle  them.     "  Which  do  you  like  best,  father 

or  mother  ?  "     And  you  know  how  cleverly  the  little 

mites  wriggle  out  of  the  difiiculty :  they  look  from  the 

96 


LAMP  AND  OIL  97 


one  to  the  other  and  the  other  to  the  one,  and  then  say, 
"  I  loves  hos  best !  "  And  that  is  quite  right,  and  it  is 
what  we  must  do  with  the  lamp  and  the  oil,  the  oil  and 
the  lamp — we  must  love  both  best.  They  are  useless 
when  they  go  apart,  but  they  are  beautiful  when  they 
go  together.  We  are  commanded  by  Jesus  to  let  our 
light  shine,  and  we  can  never  do  that  properly  in  the 
world  unless  we  have  a  good  lamp,  and  good  oil  in 
it  too. 

The  lamp  is  the  fo7in  and  the  oil  is  the  life :  the 
lamp  is  the  hody,  the  oil  is  the  sozd :  the  lamp  is  what 
we  are  like,  the  oil  is  what  we  are — but  I  am  afraid  this 
is  very  learned  :  I  must  make  my  meaning  simpler. " 

When  I  was  at  college  we  had  a  very  beautiful  man 
among  us.  (It  is  so  odd,  is  it  not  ?  to  speak  about  a 
"  beautiful "  man.  It  is  all  right  to  say  that  a  lady 
is  beautiful,  or  a  flower,  or  a  bird:  but  a  man! — a 
"  beautiful  man  !  " — why,  it  is  like  making  fun  of  him. 
A  man  should  be  strong,  or  handsome,  or  wise,  or  brave  ; 
but  heautiful ! — pah  ! — let  us  leave  that  to  the  girls  !) 
But  this  was  a  beautiful  man — very.  On  great  days, 
when  the  public  were  invited,  we  always  made  him  sit 
in  front  for  a  specimen,  as  it  were,  of  what  we  were 
all  like !  He  called  himself  a  student,  but  he  never 
studied:  he  was  at  college  to  learn  wisdom,  but  he 
never  grew  wise.  He  made  fun  for  us  all  when  he 
didn't  intend  to,  for  the  more  he  tried  to  show  his 
learning,  the  more  his  ignorance  would  come  out.  We 
called  him  The  Lamp,  he  was  such  a  fine  vessel ;  but 


98        THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

there  was  no  oil  in  it :  he  didn't  shine  then,  and  has 
never  shone  since.  He  was  a  real  fine  fellow  otherwise, 
only  he  wasn't  a  student  while  he  seemed  to  be  one — 
and  when  you  seem  to  be  one  thing  while  you  really 
are  another,  you  are  only  a  lamp  without  oil. 

But  there  was  another  student  we  had,  as  plain  as 
plain  could  be,  with  a  bit  of  a  crook  in  his  body 
besides,  and  he  was  a  student.  He  had  more  learning 
in  his  little  finger  than  most  of  us  had  altogether. 
He  was  very  warm-hearted  and  impulsive,  very  brave, 
and  thoroughly  honest  and  sincere,  but  very  dirty, 
very  slatternly,  and  very  often  very,  very  rude.  He 
never  cared  what  he  said  or  what  he  did;  he  meant 
well,  and  his  heart  was  good,  but  he  had  a  great 
contempt  for  appearances.  Of  course  he  was  always 
getting  into  trouble  for  doing  right  things  in  a  wrong 
way.  He  died,  poor  fellow,  and  we  nursed  him  ten- 
derly to  the  last,  taking  our  turns  to  sit  up  with  him 
night  and  day ;  for  we  all  loved  the  warm-hearted 
fellow-comrade,  though  we  were  always  afraid  of 
what  he  would  do  next.  He  was  the  oil  without 
the  lamp,  and  soon  burnt  himself  out,  without  doing 
half  the  good  he  wished  to  do  and  might  have  done, 
if  he  had  only  considered  the  value  of  the  lamp — the 
form  and  appearance  of  things. 

As  you  grow  up  you  will  meet  many  people  like 
these.  Do  you  not  meet  them  now?  Isn't  there  a 
boy  you  know  who  is  very  proper,  very  good-mannered, 
very  correct,  but  very  selfish  and  greedy  and  unkind  ? 


LAMP  AND  OIL  99 


He  is  a  lamp  without  oil.  And  do  you  not  know  the 
boy  who  is  very  ill-mannered,  very  boorish  and  clownish 
and  rude,  but  very  warm-hearted  and  obliging  and 
loving  in  his  own  way  ?  He  is  the  oil  without  the 
lamp.  A  real  gentleman  is  lamp  and  cil  together — 
good  manners  and  a  good  heart  both. 

There  are  other  ways  besides  in  which  we  require 
the  lamp  as  well  as  the  oil.  There  is  reverence,  for 
example.  I  knew  a  little  boy  who  reasoned  this  way 
about  his  prayers  : — "  I  don't  need  to  kneel  down ;  I 
can  pray  just  as  well  standing."  And  so  he  said  his 
prayers  anyhow  while  getting  ready  for  bed.  After 
a  while  he  said,  "I  can  pray  just  as  well  after  I  am 
in  bed  as  before  " — and  he  did.  But  for  how  long  ? 
Not  very  long:  he  soon  got  into  the  habit  of  going 
to  sleep  without  prayer  at  all,  or  any  thought  of 
Jesus.  He  became,  in  fact,  prayerless.  The  oil  did 
not  burn  very  long  after  the  lamp  was  thrown  away. 
Keep  up  the  forms  of  reverence,  children :  they  help 
you  more  than  you  can  guess.  It  is  all  very  well  to 
have  the  soul  of  religion,  but  a  soul  must  have  a  body, 
or  be  a  mere  ghost,  just  as  the  oil  must  have  a  lamp, 
or  be  a  mere  flash ;  and  the  better  the  oil  is,  the  better 
the  lamp  should  be ;  and  the  more  we  love  God,  the 
more  we  should  show  it  by  our  reverence  in  every- 
thing that  has  to  do  with  Him.  Never  speak  lightly 
of  things  sacred ;  never  deal  lightly  by  them.  Never 
be  late  for  church  if  you  can  help  it;  reverence  will 
always  wait  there  for  the  Lord,  rather  than  keep  the 


THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 


Lord  waiting  there  for  it.  Do  not  be,  however,  like 
the  foolish  virgins,  who  had  plenty  of  reverence  but 
no  love  for  the  Lord ;  who  had  beautiful  lamps  but  no 
oil  in  them.  Be  like  the  wise  virgins,  who  had  both 
reverence  and  love ;  who  brought  their  lamps,  but 
brought  oil  with  them  too.  Only  these  went  in 
with  the  Lord  to  the  banquet.  Do  not  be  left  out. 
Let  your  light  shine,  then,  and  shine  brightly,  by 
having  faith,  but  works  too;  by  having  love,  but 
reverence  with  it  also  —  by  having  oil  and  lamp 
both. 


XXVI 

A  QUESTION  OF  TASTE 

"  Is  there  any  taste  in  the  white  of  an  egg  ?  " — Job  vi.  6. 

None  whatever !  There  is  no  taste  in  the  white  of  an 
egg.  That  is — if  it  is  "  sound."  If  it  is  a  bit  "  high," 
however,  there  is  a  taste  in  it — and  a  nasty  taste,  too ! 
We  won't  speak  of  that ;  'tisn't  pleasant.  Eggs  of  that 
sort  are  not  for  eating ;  they  are  only  good  for  contested 
elections,  though  I  don't  hold  by  them,  even  then ! 

Speaking  of  good,  sound,  healthy  eggs,  however,  you 
have  all  noticed  that  there  is  no  taste  in  the  "  white." 
There  is  in  the  yellow  "  yolk  " — but  we  are  not  speaking 
of  it.  I  don't  suppose  there  is  one  of  you  but  has 
made  the  remark  at  the  breakfast-table  that  there  was 
no  taste  in  the  "white,"  and  I  have  no  doubt  that  you 
thought  it  was  a  very  original  observation.  Yet  here 
is  a  man  who  had  said  the  same  thing  more  than  three 
thousand  years  ago  !  That  is  discouraging ;  it  always 
is  discouraging  to  find  your  original  remarks  are  only 
echoes  of  what  somebody  else  has  said  long  before. 
Not  to  be  able  to  say  even  a  thing  like  this  without 
finding  that  it  had  been  said  before  the  Pyramids  were 


THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 


built — this  is  enough  to  take  the  very  heart  out  of 
genius.  The  only  way  I  can  think  of  for  escaping 
these  humblings  is  by  never  pretending  to  be  original 
at  all.  But  as  it  isn't  given  to  everybody  to  be  as 
wise  as  this,  we  must  just  put  the  best  face  on  things 
we  can. 

Any  way,  it  is  quite  true  that  there  is  no  taste  in  the 
white  of  an  egg.  If  it  were  a  mere  matter  of  "  taste," 
I  would  have  nothing  more  to  say  about  it,  for  every- 
body has  his  own  taste  like  his  own  nose,  different 
from  everybody  else's.  You  like  one  thing,  I  like 
another,  and  the  boy  round  the  corner  likes  something 
neither  of  us  can  bear.  When  it  is  only  a  question 
of  taste  in  that  fashion,  there  is  no  use  arguing; 
everybody  has  his  own. 

But  everybody  is  agreed  about  this.  That's  some- 
thing. Now,  what  is  the  white  of  an  egg  ?  It  is  the 
chick's  rations!  Yes.  It  is  something  within  the 
"  yolk  "  which  makes  the  chick,  and  as  soon  as  he  gets 
a  beak  he  begins,  naturally,  to  feel  peckish  a  bit,  and 
so  he  makes  for  the  "white."  By  the  time  he  has 
eaten  that  up  he  has  grown  so  big  and  so  important 
that  he  disdains  the  world  within  the  shell  in  which  he 
was  reared,  and  steps  out  into  this  larger  world,  and 
gets  introduced  to  relations  he  hadn't  had  the  pleasure 
of  meeting  before.  Then  he  forgets  all  about  the 
"  white," — yet  if  it  hadn't  been  for  the  white  he  would 
have  died  of  starvation  in  the  shell,  as  completely  as 
ever  an  Arctic  traveller  died  among  the  icebergs  through 


A  QUESTION  OP  TASTE  toj 

want  of  food.  It  is  too  bad  of  him  to  forget ;  but  it 
is  the  way  of  chickens. 

The  thing  for  us  to  notice  is,  that  though  the 
"  white  "  has  no  taste  it  has  very  great  strength.  It 
is  food  for  the  chick,  and  it  is  food  for  you  and  me. 
Everything  that  is  needed  to  make  bone  and  blood 
and  feathers — or  hair — is  in  the  white  of  an  egg. 
Yet  it  is  tasteless !  Then  that  shows,  does  it  not  ? 
that  there  are  things  in  the  world  that  are  very  good 
for  us  even  though  they  may  not  be  as  pleasant  as 
sugar  or  as  quick  to  be  noticed  as  some  of  the  medi- 
cines the  doctor  gives  us !  They  are  tasteless,  but 
they  are  strengthening — that's  the  point — the  first 
point  at  least. 

The  next  point  is  this — the  only  way  to  find  out 
how  good  these  tasteless  things  are  is  by  taking  them. 
I  have  often  seen  the  white  of  an  egg  exhibited  in 
the  chemistry  class  of  a  morning,  and  a  great  many 
wonderful  things  were  done  to  show  what  it  was 
made  of,  and  how  it  was  hardened,  or  softened,  by 
this  thing  and  that ;  but  if  any  poor  student  had  come 
there  without  his  breakfast,  he  might  have  been  made 
wiser,  but  he  wouldn't  have  been  made  any  stronger, 
by  all  he  learnt.  There  is  only  one  way  of  getting 
the  strength  that  is  in  the  white — and  that  is,  by 
eating  it. 

As  I  said,  then,  there  are  a  great  many  things  like 
it  in  this  respect ;  they  are  tasteless,  but  good.  There 
is   Duty,    for   example.      Not    much    taste   about   it ! 


lo|  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

There  is  a  fine  smack  about  ;pleasitre ;  merely  to  look 
on  it  is  enough  to  make  the  mouth  water ;  but  duty  ! — 
ah !  there  isn't  much  spice  about  it.  To  have  to  do 
the  same  thing  over  and  over  again  just  because  it  has 
to  be  done,  and  not  because  we  like  to  do  it,  is  very- 
tasteless  work.  But  what  strong  men  and  women  it 
makes !  There  is  nobody  strong  who  shirks  his  duty, 
and  there  is  nobody  weak  who  has  got  into  the  habit 
of  doing  it.  The  best  soldiers,  the  best  sailors,  the 
best  men  and  women  everywhere,  are  those  who  have 
learnt  to  do  their  duty  for  duty's  sake,  and  not  because 
there  is  anything  sweet  about  it  to  tempt  them  on. 
Strengthen  yourselves  here,  my  bairnies.  Whatever 
you  ought  to  do,  do  it — ^just  because  you  ought,  and 
though  it  is  as  tasteless  at  first  as  the  white  of  an  Qgg, 
it  will  make  you  at  last  stronger  than  Samson. 

Another  very  tasteless  thing  is — singing  sweet  songs 
to  a  saddened  heart.  Let  me  explain.  Sometimes 
people  become  very  sad  ;  some  one  they  have  dearly 
loved  has  died,  or  they  have  been  greatly  disappointed, 
or  some  one  has  done  them  a  wrong,  and  their  hearts 
are  heavy.  They  care  nothing  then  for  the  sweetest 
songs.  Everything  they  delighted  in  before  becomes 
to  them  then  as  tasteless  as  the  white  of  an  Qgg.  All 
the  same  they  are  the  better  for  the  songs  and  better 
for  the  sympathy.  They  don't  feel  it  at  the  time,  but 
yet  it  puts  new  strength  into  them ;  just  as  with  the 
white  of  an  egg.  Speak  kindly  to  the  sorrowing,  speak 
hopefully  to  the  sad ;  though  they  don't  seem  to  listen 


A  QUESTION  OF  TASTE  105 


or  care  for  what  you  say,  yet  they  are  all  the  better  for 
it,  and  will  be  better  for  it  still.  Even  sympathy  and 
kindness  can  be  tasteless  at  times  ;  but  they  are  always 
strengthening. 

And  there  is  worsliip.  What  a  pity  that  should 
ever  be  tasteless !  But  sometimes  it  is.  Sometimes 
a  person  finds  no  pleasure  in  going  to  God's  House, 
hearing  His  Word,  or  singing  His  praises.  Sometimes 
he  has  no  pleasure  even  in  praying !  Think  of  that ! 
How  you  would  wonder  at  yourself  if  your  heart  didn't 
dance  and  your  eyes  didn't  brighten  when  you  met 
somebody  you  really  loved  !  You  would  say,  would  you 
not  ?  that  there  was  something  wrong  with  yourself 
then.  You  would,  and  you  would  be  quite  correct  ; 
and  it  is  just  the  same  with  us  all  when  we  cease  to 
find  any  pleasure  in  meeting  with  Jesus  in  worship  or 
praise  or  prayer.  The  fault  is  in  ourselves ;  we  have 
lost  our  taste.  People  do  so  sometimes.  When  they  are 
sick  or  ill  or  out  of  sorts  there  are  many  things  they 
don't  care  for,  of  which  they  were  very  fond  when  they 
were  in  health.  And  the  doctor  tests  them  by  it.  He 
asks  them  from  time  to  time,  "  Can  you  take  this  yet  ?  " 
or,  "  Do  you  like  that  ?  "  and  so  he  knows  whether  they 
are  getting  better  or  getting  worse.  We  can  tell  about 
our  own  hearts,  our  own  spirits,  in  the  same  way.  If 
we  have  no  pleasure  in  meeting  with  Jesus,  in  praising 
Him  or  praying  to  Him,  it  is  a  sure  sign  there  is 
something  wrong  with  us.  There  is  sin  somewhere, 
and  it  is  making  the  soul  sick  and  weak.     There  is  no 


io6  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

hope  for  ns  then  unless  that  sin  is  put  away.  Till  that 
is  done  we  shall  blame  the  worship,  blame  the  praise, 
blame  everything  and  everybody  but  ourselves;  just  as 
the  sick  man  does  when  he  has  lost  his  taste.  Yet  the 
fault  is  in  ourselves  all  the  time ! 

Then,  children,  when  you  don't  like  to  go  to  church, 
don't  like  to  praise  Jesus,  don't  like  to  pray  to  Him, 
just  give  a  look  into  your  own  heart  and  you  will  find 
something  wicked  there.  Put  that  away  ;  ask  Jesus  to 
pardon  it,  and  the  things  that  seemed  so  tasteless  be- 
fore will  be  found  to  be  very  pleasant,  and,  what  is 
more,  they  will  be  found  to  be  very  strengthening,  like 
the  white  of  an  egg.  Water  is  tasteless  when  you  are 
not  thirsty,  and  bread  has  no  flavour  when  you  are  not 
hungry,  but  how  sweet  water  is  when  your  tongue  is 
parched !  and  how  toothsome  bread  is  when  you  are 
ready  to  perish !  There  is  no  spice  like  hunger  and 
thirst.  When  you  come  to  Jesus  bring  the  hunger 
and  thirst  with  you,  and  I  promise  —  nay,  Jesus 
promises,  you  shall  be  abundantly  satisfied. 


XXVII 

A    NARROW    ESCAPE 
"Be  ye  thankful."— Col.  iii.  15. 

He  was  a  nice  lad,  going  home  for  the  holidays  after 
having  been  away  for  a  year  at  his  first  situation ; 
and  the  old  gentleman  who  sat  opposite  him  in  the 
carriage  was  a  kindly,  friendly  sort  of  a  man;  so  the 
two  soon  got  into  conversation  and  talked  about  many 
things.  George  was  in  a  very  impatient  mood;  the 
train  was  steaming  along  at  a  -fine  rate  and  doing 
its  very  best,  but  it  was  going  too  slow  for  George ; 
he  wanted  to  fly  and  be  home.  So  he  grumbled — 
grumbled  at  every  stoppage,  and  whenever  the  train 
had  to  go  slow  because  the  signals  were  against  it, 
George  used  up  almost  every  growling  word  in  the 
dictionary.  The  old  gentleman  with  the  kindly,  gentle 
face  listened  to  his  grumbles  with  a  twinkle  in  his 
eye  or  a  good  -  humoured  smile  on  his  lips ;  he  had 
been  young  himself  once,  and  had  been  from  home,  and 
knew  what  it  was  to  want  to  be  quickly  back,  but  in 
his  young  days  they  had  to  travel  by  stage-coach,  and 
that  was  a  good  deal  slower  than  a  goods-train  now. 
At  length,  however,  they  came  to  a  junction,  where 


io8  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

they  had  to  change.  George  fretted  about  this  a  good 
deal,  for  they  had  seven  minutes  to  wait  before  the 
train  that  would  take  him  home  came  up ;  but  no 
sooner  had  the  old  gentleman  stepped  on  the  plat- 
form than  he  said,  very  simply,  but  very  thoughtfully, 
"Thank  God  !  "  George  thought  it  a  strange  thing  to 
say,  and  to  say  so  prayerfully,  too,  but  he  made  no 
remark  about  it,  and  by-and-by  the  two  started  off 
again  in  the  same  carriage ;  they  were  both  bound  for 
the  same  place.  Before  they  had  run  many  miles, 
however,  they  heard  their  engine  whistle  sharply, 
''  Down  brakes !  down  brakes ! ''  and  as  they  looked 
out  of  the  window  they  saw  the  reason.  Something 
had  gone  wrong  with  a  switch,  and  their  train  had 
been  shunted  on  the  wrong  line,  while  there — ahead 
of  them  on  the  straight  cutting — they  could  see 
another  train  rushing  straight  for  them.  Jerk,  jerk, 
jerk  went  their  train,  and  grind,  grind,  grind  went 
the  wheels  beneath  them.  It  was  a  terrible  moment, 
and  George's  face  was  very  white.  Within  a  few  yards 
of  one  another,  however,  both  trains  stopped ;  then 
the  one  that  had  got  on  the  wrong  line  backed  out, 
and  the  other  went  slowly  and  cautiously  past. 

"Thank  God!"  said  George  very  earnestly,  for  he 
was  a  good  lad  ;  "  that  2mis  a  narrow  escape  !  " 

"  It  was,"  said  the  old  man  quietly  ;  "  and  I  am  glad 
to  hear  you  thank  God." 

"Weren't  yoic  frightened?"  George  asked,  wonder- 
ing at  his  quietness. 


A   NARROW  ESCAPE  109 

"Well,  yes,  I  was,"  said  the  old  man,  "frightened 
a  good  deal,  and  I  thank  the  Lord  heartily  along  with 
you  that  He  has  saved  us  from  harm.  But  don't  yon 
think,"  he  added,  "that  you  ought  to  have  thanked 
Him,  too,  when  you  got  safely  to  the  last  junction 
where  we  changed?  Ah,  my  lad,  my  lad,"  he  said 
gently,  "don't  be  like  the  most  of  people,  who  thank 
God  only  when  they  have  escaped  from  some  danger 
they  have  seen.  It  is  better,  it  is  manlier,  it  is 
worthier  to  thank  Him  when  He  hasn't  so  much  as 
let  us  see  the  dangers  from  which  He  has  been 
keeping  us.  There  isn't  a  moment  that  He  isn't 
protecting  us ;  if  He  were  to  lift  His  shield  from 
round  us  for  an  instant,  we  would  be  cut  down  by 
sickness,  or  hurt  by  accident,  or  killed  outright.  Now, 
which  is  best — to  thank  Him  for  keeping  us  from  even 
seeing  danger,  or  to  thank  Him  only  in  the  rare  times 
when  He  gives  us  a  glimpse  of  what  might  have  hap- 
pened but  for  His  care  ?  " 

"You  are  right,  sir,"  said  George;  "it  is  best  to  be 
always  thankful."  And  George  learned  a  lesson  that 
day  he  never  forgot. 

Will  you  learn  it  too  ?  Learn  to  thank  God  prayer- 
fully for  what  hasn't  happened,  as  well  as  for  what 
has?  Do  so,  and  you  will  never  be  without  a  song 
and  a  sunbeam,  for  these  always  are  given  to  the 
thankful  spirit. 


XXVIII 
ROOM  AND  POWER  TO  LET 

"  I  am  not  ashamed  of  the  gospel  of  Christ :  for  it  is  the  power 
of  God  unto  salvation,  to  every  one  that  believeth." — KoM.  i.  i6. 

No,  you  need  never  be  ashamed  of  the  gospel,  chil- 
dren; nobody  needs  ever  be  ashamed  of  glad  tidings 
— and  that  is  what  the  gospel  is  and  what  it  means — 
glad  tidings  about  salvation. 

We  can't  save  ourselves :  let  us  be  perfectly  clear 
about  that.  I  once  went  down  the  deepest  mine  in 
England  to  preach  the  gospel  to  the  pitmen.  It  was 
such  a  queer  thing  to  be  away  down  there  in  the  heart 
of  the  earth,  with  a  block  of  coal  for  a  pulpit,  and  half- 
naked  men  all  about  me,  and  guttering  candles  and 
miners'  lamps  twinkling  in  the  darkness.  When  we 
got  on  the  cage  again  to  come  to  the  top,  a  friend  took 
hold  of  my  arm  as  if  he  would  lift  me  up ;  but  we 
never  moved — we  got  no  higher  :  he  had  no  power  to 
lift  me ;  I  had  no  power  to  lift  him.  We  had  both  to 
wait  till  the  signal  was  given,  and  the  great  engine 
overhead,  which  we  could  not  see,  put  out  its  power 
and  drew  us  up.  That  is  a  mistake  people  are  always 
making :  they  think  they  can  save  themselves  or  save 


ROOM  AND  POWER  TO  LET  in 


one  another.  They  can't.  You  might  as  well  try  to 
lift  yourself  by  grasping  your  own  shoulders  as  try  to 
save  yourself  by  anything  that  you  can  do.  Only  the 
power  of  God  can  save  us. 

One  of  the  greatest  preachers  this  country  ever  had 
was  Whitfield — a  man  who  brought  many,  many  to  God, 
that  they  might  be  saved.  He  had  a  brother,  however, 
whose  heart  was  very  heavy  and  whose  life  was  very 
sad,  because  he  feared  he  was  lost.  Lady  Huntingdon 
spoke  to  him  one  day  about  how  ready  God  was  to 
pardon  and  save  the  greatest  sinner.  "Ah,  yes,"  he 
said;  "but  there  is  no  mercy  for  me.  I  am  lost, 
entirely  lost !  "  "I  am  glad  of  it,"  said  Lady  Hunting- 
don ;  "very  glad  indeed  to  hear  it."  The  man  was 
astonished.  "What!"  he  asked,  "are  you  glad  to 
hear  that  I  am  lost?"  "Yes,  indeed  I  am,"  she  said, 
"for  it  is  written  that  Jesus  Christ  came  into  the 
world  to  save  the  lost."  How  that  word  went  home 
to  the  heart  of  the  man !  He  had  never  seen  it  that 
way  before.  "I  thank  God  for  that  word,"  he  said, 
"  and  now  I  trust  my  soul  into  His  hands."  A  few 
months  afterwards,  feeling  unwell,  he  went  out  into 
the  open  air,  where  he  fell  in  a  faint,  and  was  carried 
back  to  the  house,  and  soon  died.  Yes,  but  he  was 
saved:  saved  because,  as  one  who  was  lost,  he  had 
trusted  himself  altogether  to  Jesus  Christ,  who  came 
into  the  world  to  seek  and  to  save  the  lost. 

This  is  where  we  must  begin  if  ever  we  would  be 
saved:  we  must  let  Jesus  save  us:  we  cannot  save 


THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 


ourselves.      Only  the   power   of   God  can  do  it,   and 
that  power  comes  through  Jesus  Christ. 

There  is  a  curious  notice  that  is  sometimes  seen 
stuck  up  on  great  buildings  in  Yorkshire  and  other 
places  in  the  North.  It  is  this — "KoOM  AND  Power 
TO  Let  ;  Apply  ivithin.''  These  are  the  two  things 
everybody  wants  —  room  and  power.  One  of  these 
days,  when  you  leave  school,  you  will  be  wanting  room 
— some  opening,  some  situation,  in  which  to  find  your 
work.  That  is  why  the  emigrant  goes  abroad,  leaving 
his  native  land  and  all  his  friends — he  wants  to  find 
room,  more  room  in  which  to  till  the  soil  and  sow 
his  seeds  and  raise  his  crops  than  he  can  find  at  home. 
When  we  are  little  we  all  dwell  snugly  enough  under 
the  one  roof,  but  when  we  grow  up  the  place  becomes 
too  small  for  us  all,  and  so,  as  the  little  birds  have 
to  be  pecked  out  of  the  nest,  by-and-by  we  have  all 
to  be  pushed  out  into  the  world  to  find  room  for  our- 
selves. The  first  thing  we  have  all  to  find,  if  ever  we 
would  do  any  work  in  the  world,  is — roo7n.  And  the 
next  is  power.  Everybody  wants  that.  Kings  go  to 
battle  for  it ;  men  and  women  scramble  over  one  another 
for  it :  if  they  can  only  get  into  power  there  are  people 
who  are  willing  to  part  with  everything  that  is  good, 
and  beautiful,  and  lovely,  and  true.  Some  want  it 
very  sadly.  The  sick  child  lying  so  weak  and  helpless 
wishes  for  power  to  get  up,  and  mother  wishes  she 
had  power  to  give  him.  The  man  who  has  gone  all 
wrong  wishes  he  had  power  to  get  right  again,  but 


ROOM  AND  POWER  TO  LET  113 

though  he  tries  and  tries,  his  heart  is  like  to  break 
at  times  when  he  finds  there  is  such  a  difference 
between  wishing  and  having.  We  all  wish  we  had 
power — power  to  do  this  or  power  to  do  that — but 
sometimes  the  more  we  wish  for  it,  the  more  we  are 
made  to  feel  that  we  haven't  got  it.  And  yet  there 
is  room  and  power  to  let !  I  think  we  had  better 
apply  "within,"  to  find  out  what  this  means.  Once 
we  have  got  inside  it  all  becomes  simple  enough. 
There  are  a  number  of  rooms  where  every  man  may 
bring  his  own  machine,  his  turning-lathe,  or  his  loom, 
or  whatever  it  is,  and  fit  it  up ;  then  all  he  has  to  do 
is  to  join  his  machine  by  the  leather  band  with  a  great 
revolving  shaft  which  passes  through  all  the  rooms, 
and  he  has  got  the  power  he  needs.  There  are  many 
rooms  and  many  different  kinds  of  work  going  on  in 
them  all,  but  they  are  all  driven  by  the  same  engine 
— the  engine  that  turns  the  great  shaft.  Though 
nobody  sees  that  engine,  everybody  believes  in  it, 
trusts  to  it,  and  knows  how  strong  it  is — by  what  it 
can  do. 

It  is  the  same  with  us,  children,  and  the  power  we 
need  for  salvation.  That  power  must  come  from  God. 
But  it  is  there,  it  is  free,  it  is  offered  to  us — and  that 
is  what  makes  up  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ.  Yes, 
and  the  glad  news  is  all  about  Jesus  coming  to  be  a 
Saviour.  The  angels  preached  it  first.  "Behold," 
said  one  of  them,  "  I  bring  you  good  tidings  of  great 
joy,  which   shall  be  to  all  people.      For  unto  you  is 


114  ^^^  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 


born  this  day  in  the  city  of  David  a  Saviour,  which  is 
Christ  the  Lord." 

Glad  tidings — and  a  Saviour — that  is  the  gospel. 
And  another  angel  said,  "Thou  shalt  call  His  name 
Jesus ;  for  He  shall  save  His  people  from  their  sins." 
Re  shall  do  it!  What  we  could  not  do  ourselves 
Jesus  came  to  do  for  us.  Ah,  children !  be  clear 
about  this — there  is  only  one  way  to  be  saved,  and 
that  is  through  the  power  of  God;  and  Jesus  Christ 
has  that  power.  His  is  the  kingdom,  and  His  the 
power,  and  His  is  the  glory. 

Then  the  first  thing  we  need  to  do  is  to  join  our 
hearts  to  the  heart  of  Jesus.  It  doesn't  matter  how 
beautiful  the  machine  may  be  that  is  fitted  up  in  one 
of  those  rooms  we  spoke  of,  it  can't  go,  it  can't  work, 
till  the  gearing-band  is  on  it  that  brings  it  under  the 
power  of  the  great,  strong  engine.  And  it  doesn't 
matter  how  clever  we  are,  how  wise,  how  well  educated 
or  kind  we  may  be,  if  we  don't  bring  our  hearts  under 
the  power  of  God  we  cannot  be  safe. 

The  gearing-band  that  joins  our  hearts  to  Christ  is 
faith.  The  gospel  of  a  Saviour  is  the  "power  of  God 
unto  salvation  to  every  one  that  helieveth." 

There  is  such  a  difference  between  knowing  and 
believing.  A  man  may  know  all  about  the  driving 
engine  and  all  about  his  own  machine,  but  till  he 
joins  the  two  together  there  is  no  power.  And  you 
may  know  all  about  Jesus,  all  about  the  Bible,  and 
all  about  the  way  of  being  saved ;   but  if  you  don't 


ROOM  AND  POWER  TO  LET  115 


trust  Jesus,  believe  on  Him,  so  as  to  live  by  Him,  He 
can't  help  you ;  can't.  You  know  something  of  how 
great  the  Lord's  power  was  when  He  was  on  earth ; 
He  could  heal  the  sick,  give  sight  to  the  blind,  make 
the  deaf  hear  and  the  dumb  to  speak,  and  could  even 
bring  the  dead  back  into  life  again.  Yes ;  but  there 
was  a  time  when  He  could  do  nothing  :  "  He  could  do 
no  mighty  work."  And  why?  "Because  of  their  un- 
belief." It  doesn't  matter  how  strong  the  engine  is, 
if  you  don't  connect  it  with  your  machine  it  can't 
help  you.  Did  you  ever  find  this  text  in  the  Bible, 
"  Know  about  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  thou  shalt  be 
saved  "  ?  You  never  did.  Or  this  one,  "  Hear  about 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  thou  shalt  be  saved  "  ?  You 
never  did.  This  is  what  you  find,  '^  Believe  on  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  thou  shalt  be  saved." 

Would  you  wish  to  be  saved?  Then  believe  in 
Jesus — trust  Him,  just  trust  Him.  That  is  a  very 
simple  thing  to  do,  is  it  not  ?  It  is ;  and  it  is  a  very 
simple  thing  to  slip  on  the  gearing-band  of  the  machine, 
but  how  great  is  the  power  that  comes  by  doing  it ! 
And  the  power  of  God  is  greater  still.  How  quietly 
it  comes,  and  yet  how  wonderfully  it  works !  A  little 
while  ago  and  the  earth  was  cold  and  black,  and  the 
trees  were  bare,  and  the  seeds  were  dead  in  the  ground  ; 
but  God  put  out  His  power,  and  how  changed  every- 
thing has  become !  The  trees  have  budded,  the  seeds 
have  been  made  alive,  the  flowers  are  blooming,  and 
the  beautiful  life  of  the  spring-time  is  all  about  us. 


ii6  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

Yet  it  was  all  done  so  quietly — without  noise  or  any- 
startling  suddenness.  And  that  is  how  His  power  for 
salvation  works  in  our  hearts  when  we  set  our  trust  on 
Jesus  Christ.  A  spirit  of  power  passes  upon  us,  better, 
stronger,  grander  than  our  own.  It  is  the  power  of 
God,  and  what  we  could  not  do  with  our  own  power 
we  can  do  with  God's.  Try  it — try  it  just  as  the 
disciples  did  at  the  first.  When  Jesus  was  going 
away  from  them — going  up  into  heaven — they  were 
very  sad.  They  wanted  to  be  saved,  and  to  be  saved 
for  something — saved  to  live  right  and  true  and  beau- 
tiful lives,  for  the  love  of  God  and  for  love  of  man — but 
they  were  afraid  they  would  not  be  able  to  if  Jesus 
went  away.  But  He  told  them  not  to  fear;  He  was 
going  away  to  receive  all  power,  and  He  would  send 
power  to  them  ;  and  they  believed  Him.  They  could 
not  tell  how  it  was  to  be  done,  but  they  believed  Him ; 
and  they  just  waited  and  prayed,  and  prayed  and 
waited,  and  one  day  the  power  of  God  came  upon  them, 
and  after  that,  oh !  the  great  and  good  things  they  did, 
which  they  could  not  have  done  of  themselves.  It  was 
the  Lord  Himself  working  through  them — just  as  it  is 
the  power  of  the  great  engine  that  works  through  the 
machine  that  is  joined  to  it.  And  you  will  find  it  the 
same  as  you  take  the  same  way  of  joining  your  heart 
to  the  heart  of  Jesus  Christ.  Wait  and  pray,  pray  and 
wait,  and  pray  again.  He  has  given  a  promise,  and 
for  Him  to  give  a  promise  is  for  Him  to  keep  it ;  and 
the  promise  is  this — to  give  the  Holy  Spirit  to  every  one 


ROOM  AND  POWER  TO  LET  117 

that  asks  it.  Ask  Him — ask  Him  with  your  heart — 
and  the  power  you  need,  the  power  of  God  unto 
salvation,  will  pass  upon  you,  and  you  shall  be  saved. 
Oh,  what  a  grand  thing  that  is ! — to  be  able  to  walk 
through  the  world  and  face  its  dangers,  and  meet  its 
temptations  and  all  its  ups  and  downs,  and  yet  know 
that  you  are  saved — that  the  power  of  Christ  is  on  you, 
— that  you  belong  to  Him,  and  He  will  never,  never  let 
you  be  lost.  This  is  to  live  the  true  life,  for  it  is  the 
life  that  shall  live  for  ever  and  ever. 

Sometimes  you  will  find  it  hard  to  be  good  and  hard 
to  do  good.  You  may  have  the  will  and  may  have  the 
wish,  but  somehow  you  will  feel  you  haven't  the  power. 
It  is  the  same  sometimes  with  some  of  those  machines 
we  have  been  speaking  about.  They  are  joined  by  a 
leather  band  with  the  great,  strong,  whirling  shaft  above, 
but  yet  they  are  moving  very  slowly,  and  often  stop 
and  are  not  doing  much  work.  And  why  ?  Because 
they  have  let  the  band  that  joins  them  to  the  shaft 
become  slack.  What  they  are  needing  is  more  power, 
and  they  cannot  receive  that  until  the  band  is  made 
firmer  and  tighter ;  and  that  is  what  we  need  to  do 
when  we  find  it  hard  to  be  good,  and  hard  to  do  good. 
We  need  to  tighten  the  band  that  joins  us  to  Jesus. 
We  need  more  faith.  On  one  occasion  Jesus  was 
telling  His  disciples  how  to  be  loving — very  loving. 
If  anybody  had  vexed  or  wronged  them  and  was 
afterwards  sorry  for  it,  they  were  to  forgive  him,  and 
forgive  him  again  and  again,  and  yet  again.     And  they 


1 1 8  THE  CHILDREN'S  PRE  A  CHER 

found  that  a  very  hard  thing  to  do.  But  Jesus  said 
they  were  to  do  it,  and  that  was  enough  for  them ;  so 
all  they  wanted  now  was  to  find  out  how.  And  what 
do  you  think  they  asked  for  ?  More  love  ?  No,  but 
more  faith.  "  Lord,"  they  said,  "  increase  our  faith." 
They  believed  in  Jesus ;  they  knew  that  He  had  power 
enough  to  help  them  to  do  whatever  He  commanded 
them;  so  all  they  asked  for  was,  to  make  the  band 
tighter — to  increase  their  faith — that  through  more 
faith  they  might  receive  more  power.  That  is  the  way 
for  you  and  me  and  everybody.  What  we  cannot  do 
Jesus  can,  if  only  we  will  trust  Him  more  and  make 
the  band  of  faith  a  little  firmer,  so  as  to  draw  more 
power  from  Him. 

Then  look  well  to  the  gearing-band.  Be  often  in 
prayer — often :  morning  and  night  upon  your  knees, 
and  during  the  day  a  little  thought,  a  little  word,  send 
up  to  Jesus.  And  listen  for  Him.  He  speaks  through 
the  Bible,  telling  us  what  He  wants  us  to  do — what 
He  has  saved  us  for.  Whenever  you  find  you  are 
growing  careless  about  prayer  and  careless  about  God's 
Word,  then  you  will  find  you  are  losing  faith,  and  so 
are  losing  power  to  overcome  sin  and  to  do  the  works  of 
God.  Oh  !  get  back  then  as  quickly  as  you  can  to  your 
praying-place,  and  back  to  the  Word  of  Life.  Keep 
the  band  of  faith  firm  and  tight  and  you  will  never 
fail  and  never  fall — for  there  is  God's  Word,  a  Word  for 
living  and  a  Word  for  dying — the  gospel  of  Christ  is  the 
power  of  God  unto  salvation  to  every  one  that  believeth. 


XXIX 

A  TALK  ABOUT  TONGUES 

There  was  a  Greek  prince  long  ago  who  wanted  to 
give  a  splendid  feast  to  his  friends,  and  so  he  com- 
manded his  chief  slave  to  provide  a  banquet  of  the 
best  things  that  could  be  obtained,  no  matter  what 
the  cost  was.  When  the  guests  arrived  and  the  feast 
was  spread,  how  astonished  the  prince  was  to  find 
tongues,  tongues,  nothing  but  tongues !  "  Why  is 
this?"  he  asked  the  slave.  "Did  not  I  order  you 
to  provide  the  best  that  could  be  found  ? "  "  And 
haven't  I  done  it  ? "  answered  the  slave ;  "  for  what 
is  better  than  the  tongue?  With  it  we  sing  praises, 
with  it  we  pray,  with  it  we  encourage  and  comfort 
one  another — what  is  there  in  all  the  world  better  than 
the  tongue  ?  "  The  prince  let  it  pass,  but  determined 
to  try  the  cleverness  of  his  slave  in  another  way.  So 
he  ordered  him  to  provide  a  feast  of  the  worst  things 
he  could  find.  To  his  amazement,  there  was  nothing 
at  that  feast  either  but  tongues,  tongues !  "  Why 
have  you  provided  what  was  best,"  he  asked,  "when 
I  ordered  you  to  provide  what  was  worst?"  "And 
have  I  not  done  it?"  asked  the  slave;  "for  what  is 


I20  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

worse  than  the  tongue?  With  it  men  swear,  and 
deceive,  and  cheat,  and  discourage,  and  wrong  one 
another.  What  is  there  in  all  the  world  worse  than 
the  tongue  ?  "  That  slave  had  evidently  been  thinking 
out  things  for  himself,  and  had  come  to  the  conclusion 
that  the  tongue  was  the  best  or  the  worst  thing  we 
could  have — ^just  as  we  made  use  of  it.  And  wasn't 
he  right  ? 

God  gave  us  two  eyes,  but  only  one  tongue,  so  telling 
us  plainly  that  we  should  not  talk  about  half  that  we 
see ;  and  He  gave  us  two  ears,  but  only  one  tongue, 
telling  us  plainly  we  should  not  repeat  one-half  that 
we  hear.  And  He  has  put  our  tongue  inside  our  teeth, 
and  made  our  lips  also  to  close  upon  these,  telling  us 
plainly  that  our  words  must  not  leap  out  just  as  they 
like,  but  must  be  kept  indoors  till  they  are  fit  and 
proper  to  step  outside. 

It  isn't  every  word  that  is  to  be  trusted  to  go  about 
as  it  likes.  "Idle  words"  never  should  be.  You 
know  that  "Satan  finds  some  mischief  still  for  idle 
hands  to  do ; "  and  he  is  sure  to  find  quite  as  much 
mischief  for  idle  words,  for  "evil  is  wrought  from 
want  of  thought,  as  well  as  want  of  heart;"  so  we 
need  to  take  thought  about  our  words,  or  they  will  be 
sure  to  do  evil. 

Who  are  the  people  who  do  most  mischief  in  the 
place  ?  They  are  the  idle  people.  They  have  nothing 
particular  to  do,  and  so  they  go  loafing  about,  shying 
at  this  thing,  and  breaking  that,  and  spoiling  the  next. 


A   TALK  ABOUT  TONGUES  121 

It  is  the  same  with  idle  words.  Since  they  have  got 
nothing  particular  to  do,  they  are  not  very  particular 
about  what  they  do,  and  so,  without  intending  it  per- 
haps, they  do  a  great  deal  of  evil. 

Don't  keep  idle  words  about  you,  children.  Give 
them  something  to  do.  When  you  send  out  your 
words,  see  that  they  have  some  errand  to  run,  and 
that  they  have  the  right  address  to  go  to ;  see,  that 
is,  that  they  mean  business,  and  that  the  business 
is  good.  Remember  that  not  one  word  we  utter  is 
ever  lost.  It  is  a  seed  planted  somewhere.  If  it 
is  a  good  seed  it  will  grow,  and  by -and -by  the 
wind  will  blow  its  seeds  to  other  fields,  and  some- 
body will  be  better  for  them.  Idle  words  need  not 
be  dull  words.  The  jest,  the  laugh,  the  merry  quip 
are  all  good.  They  make  sunshine,  and  sunshine 
brightens  everything.  All  your  life,  as  much  as 
you  can,  speak  sunshine :  there  are  shadows  and 
sorrows  enough  in  the  world ;  try  to  chase  these 
away. 

If  nobody  else  remembers  what  we  say,  the  angels 
do.  Jesus  once  told  His  disciples  something  they 
could  not  understand.  If  you  had  been  there,  you 
could  not  have  seen  anybody  but  Jesus  and  His  dis- 
ciples. But  after  a  time  Jesus  died,  and  when,  in 
the  cold  grey  morning,  the  women  went  to  His  grave, 
they  saw  two  shining  angels ;  and  what  did  the  angels 
say  to  them  ?  They  told  them  to  remember  the  words 
that  Jesus  had  spoken  to  His  disciples.     How  did  the 


122  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

angels  know  these  words?  Because  they  heard  them 
when  they  were  spoken.  They  were  there  with  Jesus 
and  the  disciples;  though  you  could  not  have  seen 
them,  they  were  there,  listening,  hearing,  and  they 
remembered  what  was  said. 

Think  of  that,  and  it  will  help  you  to  think  before 
you  speak.  Think  of  the  angels,  who  are  always 
hearing  us,  and  remembering  what  we  say,  and  who 
will  put  us  in  mind  again  of  every  word  we  have 
spoken.  Think  of  that,  and  have  nothing  to  do  with 
idle  words.  Have  a  purpose  for  every  one;  and  let 
that  purpose  be  a  good  one,  so  that  when  the  angels 
tell  us  again  of  what  we  said,  we  may  listen  with 
gladness  and  not  with  fear. 


XXX 

ANSWERS  TO  PRAYERS 

"  And  all  the  devils  besought  Him,  saying,  Send  us  into  the  swine." 
"And  they  began  to  pray  Him  to  depart  out  of  their  coasts." 
"  He  .  .  .  prayed  Him  that  he  might  be  with  Him." 

— Maek  V.  12,  17,  18. 

Here  are  three  prayers,  one  of  them  good  and  two 
of  them  bad.  Maybe  they  will  teach  us  something. 
The  disciples  were  good  men  who  wished  to  be  better, 
so  they  came  to  Jesus  and  asked,  ''Lord,  teach  us  to 
pray."  They  had  to  learn  how  to  pray  aright,  and  had 
to  learn  from  the  best  of  all  teachers — from  Jesus 
Himself.  So  should  we :  there  are  things  we  need 
to  be  wise  about  if  we  would  pray  properly,  and  these 
three  prayers  may  help  us  to  this. 

Here  is  what  brought  the  three  prayers  together. 
Jesus  had  just  crossed  the  stormy  lake  to  save  one 
soul.  Yes,  He  went  all  that  way,  and  took  all  that 
trouble,  to  save  just  07ie.  How  precious  every  soul 
must  be  to  Him  when  He  counts  nothing  a  labour  if 
it  can  only  be  saved !  This  was  a  poor  man  who  was 
like  a  madman,  he  was  so  wild  and  wicked ;  all  manner 
of  evil  spirits  had  taken  possession  of  his  heart.     Ah ! 


124  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

there  are  people  still  who  have  unclean,  very  unclean 
spirits  dwelling  in  them  :  all  their  thoughts  are  filthy, 
and  all  their  doings  are  vile.  Everybody  turned  away 
in  fear  from  this  man,  but  it  was  just  because  he  was 
so  bad  that  Jesus  sought  for  him  now.  It  is  always 
His  way;  as  doctors  go  where  the  sick  are,  to  make 
them  better,  Jesus  goes  where  the  sinful  are,  to  save 
them  if  they  will  let  Him. 

The  devils  that  were  in  this  poor  man  trembled 
when  they  saw  Jesus.  They  knew  Him :  they  had 
seen  Him  in  heaven  before  He  came  to  earth,  and 
now  they  were  afraid  of  Him — afraid  that  He  would 
cast  them  out  from  their  dwelling  in  this  man's 
heart,  and  would  leave  them  homeless,  to  shudder 
and  drift  in  the  winds.  So  they  prayed :  yes,  the 
devils  prayed ! — but  what  a  prayer !  It  was  that 
they  might  be  allowed  to  go  into  some  swine  that 
were  near,  and  wallow  with  them.  Their  prayer  was 
granted! — and  they  and  the  swine  both  soon  came 
to  a  bad  end.  It  was  a  prayer  they  should  never 
have  made. 

^  The  people  who  owned  the  swine  were  greatly 
troubled  at  their  loss.  But  they  were  in  an  awkward 
fix;  if  they  summoned  Jesus  before  the  magistrate, 
to  make  Him  pay  for  the  loss  of  the  swine,  they  would 
be  punished  themselves,  for  they  were  Jews,  and  it  was 
against  the  law  for  them  to  keep  swine.  They  had 
been  breaking  the  law  all  along,  so  they  could  not  now 
ask  the  help  of  the  law.     But  they  were  determined  to 


ANSWERS  TO  PRAYERS  125 


stick  to  their  sin  and  their  swine,  so — what  do  you 
think  ? — they  also  prayed  I  Yes,  but  what  a  prayer  ! 
— it  was  to  ask  Jesus  to  go  away  from  them  and  never 
come  back !  They  would  rather  have  their  sin  than 
their  Saviour !  And  their  prayer  also  was  answered  : 
Jesus  went  away,  and  never  returned.  Could  you 
bear  that  thought? — that  Jesus  had  gone  away  from 
you,  and  taken  His  Holy  Spirit  with  Him,  and  had 
abandoned  you  to  your  sins  ?  Then  take  care  how  you 
want  Him  to  keep  out  of  the  way  that  you  may  get 
doing  the  thing  that  is  wrong.  The  worst  thing  we 
can  do  is  to  pray  Jesus  to  leave  us,  because  we  prefer 
our  sins,  and  the  worst  thing  that  can  happen  to  us  is 
to  have  that  prayer  answered. 

But  the  third  prayer  is  perhaps  the  strangest  of  all. 
It  was  the  prayer  of  the  man  from  whom  the  evil  spirits 
had  been  cast  out ;  he  was  now  healed  and  in  his  right 
mind,  and  his  heart  was  full  of  gratitude  and  love  to 
Jesus.  His  prayer  was  a  very  beautiful  and  loving 
one  :  it  was  that  he  might  go  with  Jesus  and  be  with 
Him  wherever  He  went.  But  that  'prayer  was  refused  ! 
He  was  told  to  stay  where  he  was ;  he  would  do  most 
good  there,  by  telling  others  w^hat  Jesus  had  done  for 
him.  Two  bad  prayers  were  answered,  w^hile  a  good 
one  was  denied. 

Is  this  puzzling?  I  don't  think  it  should  be:  I 
think  it  should  be  very  comforting  and  helpful  to  us. 
It  should  teach  us  this — should  it  not  ? — that  sometimes 
Jesus  is  most  loving  when  He  does   not  answer  our 


126  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

prayers.  We  are  inclined  to  think  hard  thoughts  of 
Him  then — when  He  does  not  let  us  have  our  own  way, 
or  give  us  the  things  we  want — yet  see  how  it  was  here. 
Those  who  wanted  to  be  worse,  and  to  wallow  more  and 
more  in  sin,  and  those  who  were  selfish,  and  preferred 
their  gains  to  their  God — they  got  what  they  wanted, 
because  their  hearts  were  dead-set  on  it ;  yet  the  granting 
of  their  wishes  only  brought  sorrow  on  sorrow  and  loss 
upon  loss  on  them  at  the  last.  Ah,  children !  when  we 
are  bent  on  a  thing,  and  are  determined  to  have  it  or 
to  do  it,  it  is  not  true  prayer  we  are  saying  then,  what- 
ever words  we  may  use,  for  true  prayer  always  says  to 
Jesus,  "  Grant  this,  please,  if  it  is  good  for  me,  and 
good  for  others,  and  if  it  is  what  will  please  Thee ;  if 
not,  then  please  do  not  answer  it :  Thou  knowest  best." 
This  is  true  prayer,  and  the  kindest,  most  merciful 
thing  Jesus  can  sometimes  do  is  not  to  let  us  have 
what  we  want. 

It  was  for  judgment  He  answered  the  two  bad 
prayers,  but  it  was  in  love  He  denied  the  prayer  that 
was  good.  This  man  was  saved,  and  if  he  remained 
where  he  was,  and  did  what  Jesus  told  him,  you  may 
be  very  sure  it  was  that  somebody  else  would  be  saved 
by  him.  Jesus  needed  him  to  be  a  missionary  at  home, 
instead  of  abroad,  and  so  did  not  answer  his  prayer  to 
go  with  Him,  but  left  him  where  he  was — and  left  him 
in  love.  By-and-by  they  would  meet  again  in  the 
glory,  and  there,  maybe,  there  would  also  be  those 
who  were  saved  by  this  man, 


ANSIVERS  TO  PRAYERS  127 


Learn  the  lesson,  then  ;  don't  be  disappointed  when 
your  prayers  are  not  answered  as  you  would  wish. 
Just  think — it  is  the  best  prayer  that  is  sometimes 
denied,  and  denied  in  tenderest  love  ;  and  they  are  the 
worst  prayers  that  are  sometimes  answered,  but  are 
answered  in  judgment  and  anger.  Then  leave  it  all 
with  Jesus ;  tell  Him  what  you  would  like  to  be  or  to 
do,  but  leave  it  with  Him  to  decide  what  shall  be  best. 
So — just  as  the  ship  is  steered  by  the  helm — all  your 
life  will  be  guided  by  Jesus  Himself,  and  when  He 
guides,  nobody  misses  God's  blessing  here,  or  His  home 
in  heaven  at  the  last  : — 

"111  that  He  blesses  is  our  good, 
And  unblest  good  is  ill ; 
And  all  is  right  that  seems  most  wrong, 
If  it  be  His  sweet  will." 


rW$  ^7V,,. 


XXXI 

SWEETER    THAN   HONEY 
"The  law  of  kindness." — Pro  v.  xxxi.  26. 

Some  people  make  such  queer  use  of  the  Bible !     I 

have  read  of  an  old   Scotch  squatter  in  New   South 

Wales  who  was  taken  dangerously  ill.     The  minister 

— who  lived  far  away  in  the  nearest  township — was 

sent   for,   but  by  the  time   he  arrived  the   old   man 

had   mended  so  much   that   the  minister  found  him 

seated  on  the  verandah,  not  only  reading  the  Bible, 

but  evidently  studying  it  with  care,  for  he  was  taking 

notes  from  it.     "I  am  glad,"  said  the  minister,   "to 

see  you  so  well  employed."     "Yes,"  replied  the  old 

man ;  "  I've  just  been  totting  up  the  number  of  Job's 

sheep  and  mine,  and  I  find  that  I  have  five  thousand 

more  than  he  had!"     And  that  was  all  the  use  he 

was  making  of  the  Bible ! 

There  are  some  people — especially  ladies — who  make 

no   better   use   of   this   chapter.      Because   there   are 

thirty-one  verses  in  it — as  many  verses  as  there  are 

days  in  a  full-grown  month — they  make  the  chapter 

become  a  kind  of  almanac,  and  search  it  to  see  what 

128 


SWEETER  THAN  HONEY  129 


it  has  to  say  for  the  day  of  the  month  on  which  they 
were  born ;  they  use  the  verses,  in  fact,  as  birthday 
mottoes !  But  there ! — I  see  you  are  all  wanting  to 
do  the  same !  Perhaps  I  shouldn't  have  told  you ! 
But  if  you  only  act  up  to  the  motto,  you'll  find  it  will 
be  all  right.  Our  particular  text,  however,  is  not  for 
any  one  birthday ;  it  is  for  every  day,  and  for  all  the 
days  of  our  life — the  law  of  kindness  in  our  tongues. 
That  is  something  sweeter  than  honey. 

Do  you  know  what  a  "law"  means?  It  is  some- 
thing that  must  be  done,  simply  because  it  is  right  to 
do  it.  As  long  as  we  do  it  because  we  must,  and  not 
because  it  is  right  and  good,  it  hasn't  yet  got  right 
into  our  hearts.  Just  think  of  anybody  saying  to  a 
good,  kind,  loving  man,  "  You  don't  need  to  be  kind 
any  longer ;  we  have  changed  the  law ;  there  is  nothing 
now  to  compel  you  to  be  good ! "  How  wonderingly 
the  good  man  would  look  at  him  !  "Why,"  he  would 
say,  "it  doesn't  matter  to  me  whether  you  have 
changed  the  law  or  not.  I  didn't  do  good  or  love 
people  because  I  was  compelled;  I  did  it  simply 
because  it  was  good  to  do  it — it  was  right.  Kindness 
is  a  law  of  itself,  and  that  is  enough  for  me."  It  is 
enough.  If  ever  we  would  have  the  law  of  kindness 
on  our  lips,  we  must  begin  by  having  it  in  our  hearts  ; 
we  must  love  to  do  what  is  good  and  kind,  simply 
because  it  is  right,  and  not  because  we  are  compelled. 
It  is  Right  :  that  is  the  law,  and  it  is  enough. 

But  if  we  would  get  this  sweetness  into  our  hearts, 


I30  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

we  must  begin  by  getting  rid  of  thinking  of  ourselves 
first.  "Me  first!  me  first!" — isn't  that  what  some 
children  say,  and  many  more  think,  when  there  is 
anything  nice  to  be  had  ?  Shame !  shame !  This  is 
selfishness,  and  selfishness  and  kindness  can  never 
dwell  ^together  in  the  same  heart.  In  the  autumn  of 
1894,  when  the  African  royal  mail  steamer  Angola 
was  on  the  voyage  from  Madeira  to  Liverpool,  a  thrill- 
ing incident  happened.  Two  men  who  were  painting 
the  outside  of  the  vessel  somehow  both  fell  overboard. 
Captain  Goudie  at  once  put  the  ship  about,  and  had 
the  lifeboat  lowered.  As  the  boat  at  length  came  near 
one  of  the  men  struggling  in  the  water  he  lifted  his 
hand,  and  pointing  to  his  comrade,  who  was  almost 
exhausted,  cried,  "  Save  Bowman  first !  save  Bowman 
first !  "  The  boat  turned  aside  and  went  to  the  other 
man  and  rescued  him,  and  then  went  back  and  happily 
rescued  the  brave,  unselfish  fellow  too.  Wasn't  he 
noble  ?  Wasn't  the  law  of  kindness  in  his  tongue  ? 
But  mustn't  it  first  of  all  have  been  in  his  heart  for 
him  in  a  time  like  this  to  think  of  his  comrade  before 
himself?  And  will  yoii  say,  "Me  first!  me  first!" 
Shame!  shame! 

Kindness  and  courage  always  go  together:  the 
bravest  have  always  been  the  most  thoughtful  for 
other  people.  You  all  know  the  story  of  Sir  Philip 
Sidney  and  his  kindness  to  the  poor  dying  soldier, 
but  perhaps  you  do  not  know  so  well  about  Sir  Ralph 
Abercrombie — as  brave  a  man  as  ever  lived.     He  was 


SWEETER  THAN  HONEY  131 

mortally  wounded  in  the  battle  of  Aboukir,  and  was 
carried  on  board  the  Foudroyant.  To  ease  his  pain  a 
little  a  blanket  was  put  under  his  head.  He  asked 
what  it  was.  "  Only  a  soldier's  blanket,"  was  the  reply. 
"Whose  blanket  is  it?"  he  inquired.  "Only  one  of 
the  men's."  "I  want  to  know  his  name,"  persisted 
the  commander.  "It  is  Duncan  Koy,  of  the  42nd, 
Sir  Ealph."  "Then,"  said  the  brave  man,  closing 
his  eyes  for  their  last  sleep,  "see  that  Duncan  Koy 
gets  his  blanket  this  very  night."  Even  in  a  time 
like  that  the  man  who  never  feared  shot  or  shell  could 
think  of  the  needs  of  a  poor  private  soldier.  And  will 
you  say,  "  Me  first !  "     Shame  !  shame  ! 

To  be  strong  is  to  be  kind,  and  kindness  itself  is 
stronger  than  all  things  else.  Do  you  remember  the 
story  of  the  wind  and  the  sunshine,  trying  which  was 
stronger  ?  The  wind  blew  and  blew  its  utmost,  but 
the  traveller  only  drew  his  cloak  more  firmly  around 
him.  But  when  the  sunshine  came,  warm  and  soft, 
upon  him,  he  unbuttoned  his  cloak  and  took  it  off. 
The  gentle  sunshine  had  done  what  the  blustering 
winds  could  not  do.  And  that  is  the  power  of  kind- 
ness :  it  will  do  what  nothing  else  can  accomplish. 
One  evening  a  young  lady  turning  a  street  corner 
sharply,  ran  against  a  little,  freckled,  ragged  boy,  and 
you  know  how  these  boys  can  "  speak  up  "  when  any 
accident  like  this  happens.  The  lady  stopped  and 
turned  to  the  boy  with  a  smile,  and  said,  "  I  beg  your 
pardon.     Indeed  I  am  very  sorry."     The  boy  looked 


132  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

amazed  for  a  second ;  then,  taking  off  three-quarters 
of  a  cap — all  he  had — he  bowed  politely  as  he  said, 
with  a  smile  brightening  up  all  his  freckles,  "  You  can 
have  my  parding,  Miss,  and  welcome,  and  yer  may 
run  agin'  me  an'  knock  me  clean  down,  an'  I  won't  say 
a  word !  "  After  the  young  lady  had  passed  he  turned 
to  a  chum  and  said,  as  a  kind  of  apology  for  being  so 
unusually  polite,  "  I  never  had  any  one  ask  my  parding 
before,  an'  it  kind  o'  took  me  off  my  feet."  The  sun- 
shine, you  see,  was  stronger  than  the  gruff  wind. 

Did  you  ever  hear  about  the  whistling  minister  ? 
Oh  !  he  was  a  very  famous  man,  and  this  is  how  he  got 
his  strange  name.  His  church  was  in  a  very  rough 
neighbourhood,  where  people  didn't  care  for  religion, 
and  consequently  he  had  a  mere  handful  for  a  congre- 
gation. One  day,  when  he  was  out  walking  in  a  quiet 
place,  he  came  across  a  bright-faced  little  fellow  of 
about  five,  and  the  two  soon  became  friends,  for  the 
minister  was  very  fond  of  children.  He  happened  to 
mention  how  he  nearly  lost  his  dog,  but  got  him  again 
by  whistling  for  him.  The  little  fellow  said  he  couldn't 
whistle.  "  Can't  whistle !  "  said  the  minister.  "  How's 
that?"  "'Cause  nobody  has  had  time  to  teach  me," 
said  the  mite  sadly.  "  Come  along,"  said  the  kind- 
hearted  man ;  "I'll  teach  you;  "and  taking  the  little 
fellow  on  his  knee,  puckering  up  their  lips,  the  two 
were  soon  lost  in  their  lesson.  The  two,  in  fact,  be- 
came so  engrossed  in  their  task  that  they  never  noticed 
how  a  little  crowd  had  gathered  round  them.     That 


SWEETER  THAN  HONEY  133 

crowd  made  up  its  mind  from  that  day  about  the  new 
parson,  that  he  was  a  real  good  fellow,  and  his  church 
filled,  and  filled  to  the  door.  He  was  called  "the 
whistling  parson,"  and  he  was  proud  of  his  name,  for 
it  had  done  more  than  anything  else  to  win  the  hearts 
of  the  people  to  him  and  to  the  message  he  had  to 
teach  them.  It  was  but  a  little  deed  of  kindness,  but 
how  strong  it  was ! 

Never  think  that  kindness  is  lost.  It  never  is.  Not 
long  ago  a  curious  box  was  dug  out  of  the  ruins  of 
Pompeii.  It  was  made  of  marble  or  alabaster,  about 
two  inches  square,  and  closely  sealed.  When  opened  it 
was  found  to  be  full  of  sweet  perfume,  like  the  fragrance 
of  roses.  For  hundreds  of  years  it  had  lain  there,  yet 
it  was  now  as  sweet  as  ever.  It  is  always  so  with  kind- 
ness ;  once  done  its  sweetness  never  perishes.  There 
was  an  alabaster  box  of  ointment  once  broken,  you 
remember,  to  anoint  the  Saviour,  and  He  said  the  kind- 
ness would  never,  never  be  forgotten ;  and  it  has  not 
been  forgotten  ;  we  remember  it  now,  and  its  sweetness 
has  gone  out  into  the  world,  and  the  world  to-day  is 
made  the  better  for  it.     No  !  kindness  is  never  lost. 

The  South  Sea  Islanders  have  a  curious  word  for 
Hope.  They  call  it  manaolana,  which  means  "the 
swimming  thought."  Hope,  they  say,  is  Faith  swim- 
ming and  keeping  her  head  above  water.  That's  a  fine 
idea,  but  it  won't  do  for  kindness.  It  must  be  some- 
thing more  than  a  swimming  thought.  With  some 
people   it   is   never   anything   more ;    they   have   fine 


134  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 


thoughts,  fine  fancies,  always  floating  in  their  heads, 
but  nobody  is  anything  the  better  for  them.  They 
never  do  any  good ;  they  don't  put  the  thought  into 
practice.  Kindness,  true  kindness,  is  very  ''  worky  "  ; 
it  is  always  saying  or  doing  something  to  make  other 
people  better  or  happier.  It  is  only  as  it  is  kept 
working  it  is  kept  alive  at  all.  There  is  an  old  legend 
that  tells  us  how  Thomas  the  Doubter,  years  after 
Christ  had  died  and  risen  again,  was  very  unhappy 
and  had  no  peace.  He  went  to  the  apostles  and  began 
to  pour  out  his  troubles  in  their  ears,  and  they  said 
they  were  very  sorry,  but  they  were  so  busy  they  really 
hadn't  time  to  listen  to  him.  Then  he  went  with  his 
complainings  to  some  devout  women,  but  they  were 
as  busy  as  Dorcas,  and  had  no  leisure  to  listen  either. 
At  last  it  occurred  to  him  that  perhaps  it  was  just 
because  they  were  all  so  busy  that  they  were  all  so 
happy,  while  he  was  miserable  only  thinking  about 
happiness  and  the  want  of  it.  So  he  took  the  hint,  and 
went  to  Parthia,  and  preached  the  gospel  there,  and 
tried  to  do  good  to  others  whenever  he  got  the  chance ; 
then  the  song  of  peace  came  into  his  heart  again. 

This  is  God's  hint  for  us  all :  if  we  would  be  happy 
ourselves  we  must  be  always  seeking  to  make  others 
happy;  if  we  would  have  the  law  of  kindness  in  our 
tongues  we  must  first  have  it  in  our  hearts ;  but  we 
mustn't  keep  it  merely  floating  there,  we  must  set  it 
to  work,  for  it  is  only  as  it  is  kept  working  it  is  kept 
living. 


SWEETER  THAN  HONEY  135 

And  you  must  not  be  discouraged  because  you  often 
fail  at  first.  The  habit  of  kindness  has  to  be  learnt  by 
little  and  little,  and  sometimes  those  who  have  been 
slowest  at  the  start  have  been  best  in  the  end.  Two 
boys — Arthur  and  William — were  in  the  same  school. 
The  master,  Mr.  Rawson,  said  that  Arthur  was  the 
stupidest  boy  he  ever  had,  except  William,  who  never 
seemed  able  to  learn  simple  addition,  let  alone  multi- 
plication. Yet  what  do  you  think  these  two  boys 
turned  out  to  be  ?  Arthur  became  Dean  Stanley — one 
of  the  wisest  and  best  of  men — and  William  became 
the  Prime  Minister  of  England,  and  one  of  the  cleverest 
arithmeticians  in  the  land!  They  hadn't  the  gifts  at 
the  first,  but  they  knew  how  to  get  them — by  keeping 
on  working  at  them,  and  so  they  got  them,  and  got 
them  greatly.  So  do  not  be  discouraged  if  you  are  not 
always  as  kind  and  loving  at  the  first  as  you  would  like 
and  should  be ;  try  again,  and  again ;  keep  at  it,  and 
it  will  come  to  be  the  habit  of  your  life — the  law  of 
kindness  will  be  always  in  your  tongue,  just  because 
the  love  of  kindness  will  be  always  in  your  heart. 

But  for  this  purpose  you  will  need  to  keep  the  Kind 
One,  Jesus,  always  before  your  mind.  The  great 
musician  Gounod  used  to  say,  "  When  I  was  young  I 
spoke  always  of  myself  alone.  After  a  few  years  I 
condescended  to  add  the  name  of  Mozart,  and  say, 
'I  and  Mozart.'  But  after  I  had  studied  and  learnt  a 
little  more  I  thought  I  had  better  say,  '  Mozart  and  I.' 
Now  all  I  say  is  'Mozart.'"     That's  the  too  common 


136  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

way.  We  begin  by  thinking  a  great  deal  of  ourselves ; 
then,  perhaps,  we  think  a  little  of  Jesus  also.  But  by- 
and-by,  as  we  learn  more,  think  more,  and  grow  wiser, 
we  think  more  and  more  of  Jesus,  till  at  last,  as  we 
come  to  know  Him,  and  know  ourselves  better,  we 
think  and  speak  of  Him  only ;  for  we  have  learnt  that 
there  is  nothing  kind,  nothing  right  or  good  that  we 
can  do,  but  we  need  His  help,  and  without  that  help 
we  cannot  do  it.  Then,  if  we  would  be  wise,  let  us 
begin  where  we  have  all  to  end — by  trusting  Jesus, 
loving  Him,  praying  to  Him,  making  Him  our  example 
and  our  Saviour;  so  the  law  of  kindness  will  be  in 
our  tongues,  our  hands,  and  our  hearts,  for  it  will  be 
Jesus  Himself  who  will  be  working  through  us. 


XXXII 

DRY   STICKS 

"  Lay  my  staff  upon  the  face  of  the  child." — 2  Kings  iv,  29. 

It  was  this  way :  a  sad,  sad  mother  came  to  the 
prophet  Elisha,  and  wanted  him  to  help  her.  Her 
httle  boy  was  dead,  and  she  had  only  the  one  child. 
She  could  not  give  him  up — could  not  let  Death  take 
him  away;  so  she  went  to  God's  prophet,  and  asked 
him  to  come  and  bring  her  child  to  life  again. 

And  Elisha  was  sorry  for  her,  very  sorry.  He  was 
a  good  and  a  kind  man,  and  he  wanted  to  help  her. 
But  he  was  very  busy  just  then  ;  he  had  a  lot  of  other 
things  to  attend  to,  so  he  thought  of  a  way  that  might 
do — he  would  send  his  servant  with  his  staff,  and  if  he 
laid  the  staff  on  the  face  of  the  child,  that  would  be 
enough ;  it  would  bring  the  boy  back  to  life  again ! 

But  it  didn't ;  the  staff  was  laid  on  the  child's  face, 
but  the  boy  never  opened  his  eyes,  nor  breathed  nor 
stirred.     And  why  ? 

First,  because  Gehazi,  the  servant,  was  a  bad  man. 
Yes,  he  was  a  cheat  and  a  story-teller,  and  greedy ; 
and  though  a  bad  man  may  do  a  great  many  things 


THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 


that  good  men  do,  he  can  never  put  life  into  any  one. 
There  is  only  one  way  of  really  doing  good,  and  that  is 
by  being  good  yourself. 

But  next,  the  prophet  himself  had  to  learn  a  lesson. 
It  was  this :  if  ever  you  would  do  good  to  others,  you 
must  do  it  yourself.  Some  people  are  very  busy  all 
their  days,  but  yet  never  do  any  good,  because  they 
don't  try  to  do  it  themselves ;  they  are  always  sending 
some  dry  stick  or  other  to  do  it  for  them ;  they  are 
always  getting  somebody  else  to  do  what  God  meant 
them  to  do.  Do  not  you  be  of  that  spirit.  Whenever 
you  have  a  chance  to  do  good,  don't  go  about  asking 
somebody  else  to  do  it  for  you.  If  God  had  meant 
this  dry  stick  to  raise  the  dead,  He  would  have  led  the 
woman  to  pray  to  it.  But  she  didn't  ask  the  stick; 
she  asked  the  prophet,  because  God  meant  the  prophet 
himself  to  do  this  thing.  And  when  God  puts  an 
opportunity  before  you  of  doing  good,  He  means  that 
you  can  do  it  if  you  will  try;  you  can,  but  nobody 
else  can,  and  that  is  why  He  gives  you  the  chance  of 
doing  it. 

Then  do  it,  and  do  it  yourself,  and  do  it  in  love. 
When  the  staff  failed  the  prophet  had  to  go  himself. 
How  lovingly  he  did  his  work !  He  had  learnt  the 
lesson  God  meant  to  teach  him.  First,  he  asked  to 
be  left  alone  with  the  dead  child.  Ah !  that  is  a 
great  thing:  if  anybody  has  gone  wrong,  and  you 
would  put  him  right,  if  anybody  has  been  naughty 
and  you  would  do  him   good,   then   begin  with  him 


DRY  STICKS  139 


alone.  Don't  talk  about  the  thing  when  others  are 
present.  Watch  for  a  chance  when  you  can  have  a 
quiet  talk  alone. 

Then  what  did  the  prophet  do  ?  He  "  prayed  unto 
the  Lord."  You  must  do  the  same.  It  is  only  from 
God  we  can  get  the  power  to  do  good ;  and  if  we 
forget  to  pray  to  Him,  and  trust  in  Him,  and  get 
help  from  Him,  we  may  try,  and  try,  but  do  no  more 
good  than  the  staff  could  do.  You  and  the  one  you 
would  do  good  to,  alo7ie,  and  then  a  bit  of  prayer — 
that  is  the  way. 

And  then  what  did  Elisha  do?  He  cast  himself 
down  on  the  dead  child,  "and  put  his  mouth  upon  his 
mouth  " — think  of  that !  warm,  loving  lips,  pressed 
against  cold,  dead  ones! — "and  his  eyes  upon  his 
eyes" — the  eyes  that  could  see  on  the  eyes  that 
could  not — "and  his  hands  upon  his  hands" — the 
hands  that  were  warm  and  strong  on  the  hands  that 
were  cold  and  weak ;  and  so  he  brought  the  dead 
child  back  to  life  again.  That  was  sympathy,  the 
closest  sympathy;  and  you  never  can  do  any  real 
good  to  anybody  till  you  have  sympathy  with  him.  A 
stick  has  no  sympathy;  neither  has  a  coin,  nor  a 
crust.  There  is  a  use  for  these  things  in  their  own 
place,  but  there  is  no  real  good  done  except  where 
there  is  love — the  love  that  is  willing  to  warm  what 
is  cold  with  its  own  heat — the  love  that  brings  its 
own  life  into  contact  with  the  dead — the  love  that 
prays,  but  also  works — the  love  that  has  faith,  but  yet 


I40  THE  CHILDREN  S  PREACHER 

that  does  something  too,  as  if  everything  depended  on 
itself. 

And  love  conquered ;  yes,  love  conquered  even 
death,  and  the  dead  child  was  made  alive  again. 
Oh,  what  rejoicing  there  was  that  day !  The  mother 
rejoiced,  and  the  prophet  rejoiced,  and  God  rejoiced 
too — rejoiced  to  see  how  all  things  had  been  done 
right,  and  death  had  been  defeated. 

Would  you  know  something  about  that  gladness? 
Then  keep  love  uppermost,  and  whenever  you  get  a 
chance  to  do  good,  set  about  it  yourself;  don't  leave 
it  to  others  to  do.  Get  alone  with  the  one  you  would 
do  good  to,  have  a  word  of  prayer,  and  then  show 
sympathy,  and  you  will  succeed ;  yes,  you  will  succeed, 
for  it  is  God  Himself,  Who  never  fails,  Who  will  be 
working  by  you. 


XXXIII 

CROWN  RIGHTS 

"As  we  have,  therefore,  opportunity,  let  us  do  good  unto  alh" — 
Gal.  vi.  lo. 

Theee  are  some  things  you  can  back  ouL  of.  If  you 
have  j)romised  to  do  a  thing,  but  haven't  quite  under- 
stood all  about  it,  and  afterwards  you  find  it  is  wrong, 
then  you  can  back  out.  There  is  nobody,  and  there 
is  nothing  in  all  the  world,  that  can  compel  you  to 
do  wrong.  It  may  need  courage,  it  may  bring  much 
trouble  w4th  it,  but  sometimes  the  bravest  thing  that 
a  boy  or  a  girl,  a  man  or  a  woman,  can  do  is — to 
back  out. 

But  there  is  one  thing  none  of  us  has  ever  a  right 
to  back  out  of,  and  that  is — doing  good.  We  are  as 
bound  to  do  good,  if  we  are  going  to  live  our  lives 
rightly  at  all,  as  a  star  is  bound  to  shine.  We  were 
made  for  it,  we  were  sent  into  the  world  for  it,  and  the 
fact  that  God  has  sent  a  new  day  to  us  is  the  surest 
sign  we  can  have  that  He  expects  us  to  "do  good." 
He  wouldn't  give  us  the  new  day,  and  send  us  fresh 
life,  if  He  expected  we  would  use  it  to  do  evil,  would 


142  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

He?  Then  make  up  your  minds  about  this — that 
whatever  else  you  have  a  right  to  do,  or  a  right  not 
to  do,  you  have  a  right,  the  best  of  all  rights — the 
right  from  God — to  do  good. 

Here  and  there,  as  you  go  up  and  down  the  world, 
you  see  a  notice  stuck  on  some  gate — "No  admission 
except  on  business."  You  will  never  find  a  notice 
of  that  kind  forbidding  you  from  any  chance  you  may 
have  of  doing  good.  The  fact  that  there  is  a  chance, 
and  you  want  to  take  it,  is  business — good  business, 
too — and  you  have  a  right  to  enter.  The  gates  of 
this  world  had  long  been  closed  when,  one  starry 
night,  a  little  Stranger  opened  and  entered.  His 
name  was  Jesus,  and  He  grew  to  a  man,  and  was 
loving  through  all,  and  His  whole  history  has  been 
condensed  into  these  few  words:  "He  went  about 
doing  good."  Oh !  if  that  could  be  put  on  our  tomb- 
stone, and  be  truthfully  put,  we  could  not  have  a 
grander  epitaph.  If  you  passed  along  and  read  on 
the  monument  of  this  great  soldier  that  he  conquered 
in  such-and-such  battles,  and  on  the  monument  of 
that  great  king  that  he  ruled  over  so  many  nations, 
and  on  that  of  the  rich  man  that  he  owned  such-and- 
such  broad  estates,  you  might  admire  and  wonder; 
but  when  you  came  to  a  modest  little  stone,  which 
simply  said,  "He  went  about  doing  good,"  you  would 
say,  "This  was  the  best  and  noblest  of  them  all." 
Look  ahead  of  you,  then,  children ;  there  is  a  stone 
lying  somewhere  or  other  now  that  shall  be  chiselled 


CROWN  RIGHTS  143 


one  day  with  your  name  upon  it.  May  that  day  be 
far  off,  for  the  sake  of  all  the  good  that  you  can 
do  between  this  and  then ;  but  it  comes ;  live  so  that 
you  will,  at  all  events,  deserve  to  have  put  on  it  the 
words,  "  He  went  about  doing  good." 

Notice,  then,  to  whom  the  good  is  to  be  done.  It 
is  to  all.  All  ?  Yes,  all !  I  know  that  is  where  the 
hard  part  comes  in.  It  is  not  so  difficult  to  do  good 
to  the  good ;  not  so  hard  to  be  kind  to  the  kind,  and 
pleasant  to  the  pleasant,  and  loving  to  the  loving. 
My  dog  can  do  all  that ;  but  if  I  am  to  be  something 
better  than  my  dog  I  must  do  more — I  must  school 
my  heart  and  train  my  spirit  to  do  good  to  the  dis- 
agreeable, the  unpleasant,  and  the  people  who  don't 
care  a  straw  for  me,  or  perhaps  dislike  me  very  much. 
Yes,  all ! 

And  why?  Just  because  the  worse  they  are,  the 
more  they  need  all  the  good  I  can  do  them.  If  you 
saw  a  poor  horse  hurt  itself  —  kicking  the  shafts, 
tearing  its  mouth  on  the  bit,  and  grazing  its  knees 
with  wild  stumbling  on  the  stones — would  you  whip 
it  ?  would  you  be  angry  with  it  ?  A  man  who  under- 
stands horses  would  not ;  he  knows  that  the  poor  thing 
has  got  a  wrong  idea  somehow  into  its  head,  and  he 
would  stroke  it  and  pat  it,  and  speak  soothingly  to 
it,  till  he  had  won  its  confidence  again.  He  would 
do  it  good,  just  because  that  was  what  it  most  needed 
then.  And  it  is  the  same  with  people  :  they  get  wrong 
ideas  into  their  heads  about  you,  or  about  somebody 


144  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

else,  or  about  something  else,  and  then  they  go  wrong. 
Is  that  any  reason  why  you  should  go  wrong  too? 
Isn't  it  rather  the  reason  why  you  should  do  good, 
and  be  good,  and  so  help  those  who  are  wrong  or 
wicked  to  get  right  again  ? 

Yes,  all ! — for  that  is  God's  way.  He  sees  all  the 
evil  that  is  done  in  the  world,  but  He  is  so  patient ! 
He  sends  the  sunshine  and  the  rain  on  the  evil  as 
well  as  the  good,  in  the  hope  that  His  kindness  will 
yet  touch  their  hearts  and  bring  them  all  to  Him. 
He  is  so  patient,  so  loving !  And  what  your  busi- 
ness, and  mine,  in  the  world  must  be  is  to  be  like 
Him.  So  don't  pick  and  choose  those  to  whom  you 
should  do  good.  There  are  your  orders — "Do  good 
to  all ! " 

But  when?  When  you  have  paid  them  back  for 
any  evil  they  have  done?  When  you  "have  had  it 
out "  with  them  and  got  the  victory  ?  No,  not  then  ; 
it  is  then  generally  too  late.  The  exact  time  is  fixed 
for  us  here  according  to  God's  great  clock.  Here  it 
is — "As  we  have  opportunity."  When  the  chance 
comes,  then  is  our  time,  and  it  is  all  we  have  to  con- 
sider. Now,  when  can  you  get  a  better  chance  for 
doing  good  than  when  some  one  else  is  doing  evil  ?  To 
do  good  when  people  are  doing  good  is  very  nice,  and 
always  helps  to  make  things  nicer;  but  to  do  good 
when  people  are  doing  evil  is  better,  for  it  is  double 
good;  it  helps  to  stop  the  evil  from  going  farther 
on  the  one  hand,  and,  on  the  other,  it  plants  a  seed 


CROWN  RIGHTS  145 


that  will  thrive  and  grow ;  for  God's  angels  always 
watch  over,  and  water,  and  bring  to  fruit  every  good 
thing  that  is  done.  A  great  many  things  have  to 
be  advertised  for  because  they  are  lost,  but  never 
a  good  deed — that  is  never  lost.  Some  way,  somehow, 
somewhere,  it  is  always  found  again  with  its  fruit 
upon  it. 

Then  watch  for  your  chance  :  that's  all.  It  is  God's 
chance  for  you.  When  it  comes  do  good ;  you  have 
nothing  more  to  consider.  God  will  take  care  of  all 
the  rest.  But  see  that  you  do  watch  for  your  chance. 
There  is  such  a  thing  as  looking  the  other  way  when 
the  chance  is  coming  along,  and  then,  of  course,  you 
don't  see  it.  That  is  what  you  try  to  say  to  yourself, 
but  God  says  something  different.  He  says,  "You 
would  not  see  it !  "  What  happens  then  ?  Just  this  : 
it  is  written  down  that  you  did  evil  when  you  had  the 
opportunity  of  doing  good,  for  to  have  the  chance  and 
not  to  take  it  is  sin. 

But  one  little  word  more  upon  this  text.  It  is 
this — take  it  all  home  to  yourself.  It  says,  "  Let  us,'' 
and  I  am  always  a  bit  afraid  of  that  "  us."  When  we 
say  us,  or  we,  or  ours,  we  are  very  apt  to  take  it  to 
mean  anybody  or  everybody  but  ourselves.  If  we 
would  do  good  then,  we  must  begin  by  reading  the 
text  in  this  way :  "  As  I  have  opportunity,  let  me  do 
good  unto  all."  Resolve  upon  this,  make  it  the  one 
grand  purpose  of  your  life,  for  the  love  of  Jesus,  Who 
loved  us  even  to  death,  and  you  will  never  miss  the 


146 


THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 


way  to  heaven,  for  every  deed  of  kindness,  every  word 
of  help  or  pity,  will  be  another  and  another  footprint 
of  the  Saviour  to  guide  you  on,  for  you  will  then  be  a 
follower  of  Him  Who  ''went  through  the  world  doing 
good." 


XXXIV 

''BRAKES   DO  WN/" 
"Slow  to  speak." — James  i.  19. 

There  is  a  great  difference  between  being  slow  to 
speak  and  being  a  slow  speaker.  A  slow  speaker  gives 
me  the  fidgets ;  I  want  to  put  a  pin  into  him  to  hurry 
him  up  a  bit!  Perhaps  it's  because  I  am  a  quick 
speaker  myself — more's  the  pity,  very  often  ! — but  yet 
it's  awful  to  hear  any  one  drawling  his  words  as  if 
he  had  a  thousand  years  and  a  day  longer  to  say  all 
he  wanted  to  say !  To  be  "  slow  to  speak  "  means — 
Don't  be  in  a  hurry  to  talk,  but  when  you  have  to  do 
it,  reel  it  off  as  smartly  as  you  can. 

What  is  the  swiftest  thing  in  the  world  ?  Ah,  you 
may  well  say,  "  Ask  me  another — and  an  easier  one  !  " 
There  is  the  greyhound  ;  how  it  slips  along — swift  and 
soft  as  a  shadow !  And  there  is  the  racehorse — gone 
like  a  flash !  And  there  is  the  lightning :  it  is  here, 
there,  everywhere,  before  you  have  quite  made  up 
your  mind  where  it  is.  These  are  all  swift — and  every 
one  swifter  than  another  —  but  none  of  them  is  the 
swiftest. 


148  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

Do  you  give  it  up  ?  Shall  I  tell  you — the  swiftest 
thing  in  the  world?  It  is  thought.  Yes;  with  most 
people  there  is  nothing  so  rapid  as  that — nothing! 
There  is  the  sea,  for  example,  with  its  rolling  waves 
and  the  sh,  sh,  sh  of  the  pebbles  on  the  beach  when 
the  billow  goes  back.  You  are  thinking  of  that  now — 
and  yet  the  sea  is  fifty  miles  off,  if  it  is  a  yard.  And 
there  are  the  stars ;  how  they  flash  and  glitter  on  a 
clear  frosty  night ! — God's  lamps  set  twinkling  in  the 
dark  to  cheer  us  on.  You  are  thinking  of  them  now, 
yet  between  the  sea  and  the  stars  there  are  sometimes 
millions  of  miles.  But  it  has  taken  you  only  half  a 
minute  to  think  of  the  one  and  the  other !  What  a 
distance  your  thoughts  have  travelled  in  that  time ! 
The  lightning  couldn't  do  it ;  it  would  have  to  come 
panting  up  long,  long  after  your  thought  had  sat  down 
and  got  a  rest. 

Yes,  as  I  said,  with  most  people  thought  is  the  swiftest 
thing  in  the  world.  But  it  is  not  so  with  everybody. 
There  are  some  people  who  have  something  that  is 
swifter  than  thoughts.  They  are  their  words.  Yes, 
their  words  are  very,  very  swift — so  swift,  indeed,  that 
they  often  speak  before  they  think  !  Their  words  are 
out,  are  off  and  away,  and  do  their  mischief,  and  then 
their  thoughts  come  along,  covered  with  perspiration, 
to  tell  them  they  have  made  a  mistake — but  it  is  too 
late.  The  harm  is  done ;  the  words  had  got  too  great 
a  start  of  the  thoughts. 

Let  me  tell  you  a  case  of  the  kind — one  that  touched 


BRAKES  DOWN/  149 

me  very  much  when  I  read  it.  It  was  in  America, 
where  people  sometimes  travel  great  distances  in  trains 
that  have  sleeping-carriages,  which  they  call  "cars." 
Here  is  the  story  : — 

"  One  night,  in  a  crowded  sleeping-car,  a  baby  cried 
most  piteously.  At  length  a  harsh  voice  called  out 
from  a  neighbouring  berth,  '  Won't  that  child's  mother 
stop  its  noise,  so  that  the  people  in  this  car  can  get 
some  sleep  ? '  The  baby  ceased  for  a  moment,  and  then 
a  man's  voice  answered,  '  The  baby's  mother  is  in  her 
coffin  in  the  baggage-car,  and  I  have  been  awake  with 
the  little  one  for  three  nights ;  I  will  do  my  best  to 
keep  her  quiet.'  There  was  a  sudden  rush  from  the 
other  berth,  and  a  rough  voice,  broken  and  tender,  said, 
'  I  didn't  understand,  sir ;  I  am  so  sorry ;  I  wouldn't 
have  said  it  for  the  world,  if  I  had  understood.  Let 
me  take  the  baby  and  you  get  some  rest ; '  and  up  and 
down  the  car  paced  the  strong  man,  softly  hushing  the 
tired  baby  until  it  fell  asleep,  when  he  laid  it  down  in 
his  own  berth  and  watched  over  it  till  morning.  As  he 
carried  the  little  one  back  to  its  father,  he  again  apolo- 
gised in  the  same  words :  '  I  hope  you  will  excuse  what 
I  said ;  I  didn't  understand  how  it  was.'  " 

No,  he  hadn't  understood  :  his  words  had  gone  ahead 
of  his  thoughts,  and  when  his  thoughts  came  up  and 
showed  him  what  a  cruel  mistake  he  had  made  he  was 
sorry,  sorry,  the  good-hearted  man.  For  he  was  good- 
hearted  ;  only,  he  hadn't  learnt  to  be  "  slow  to  speak." 

We  must  try  to  be  better ;  to  think  first  and  speak 


I50  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

next — to  put  the  horse  before  the  cart,,  and  not  the 
cart  before  the  horse ;  thoughts  before  words,  and  not 
words  before  thoughts.  We  shall  never  be  sorry  for 
doing  this,  but,  oh  !  we  shall  often  be  sorry,  sorry  if  we 
speak  first  and  think  afterwards. 

But  how  are  we  to  be  "  slow  to  speak  "  when  we  are 
excited,  or  angry,  or  cross?  Well,  the  old  rule  used 
to  be  that  when  you  were  angry  you  should  count  fifty 
before  you  spoke.  That  is  perhaps  a  very  good  rule 
for  some  people,  but  it  never  did  for  me.  I  have 
tried  it.  Oh  yes ! — when  my  temper  was  up  and  my 
heart  was  thump,  thump,  thumping,  I  have  said  to 
myself,  "One,  two,  three,  four,  five,  six,"  and  so  on, 
and  I  have  kept  fairly  well  at  it  till  I  came  to  ten 
or  fifteen,  and  then  I  always  found  that  somehow  I 
began  to  count  by  fives  or  by  tens — "  fifteen,  twenty, 
thirty,  forty,  fifty  /  " — and  then  the  words  I  had  been 
bottling  up  would  fly  out,  and  drench  the  other  person, 
as  I  had  meant  they  should  do ! 

But  by-and-by — when  I  had  time  to  think — when 
my  thoughts  came  weary-footed  behind  my  words — 
then  I  have  often  felt  so  sorry  and  ashamed,  and 
wished  I  had  learnt  to  be  "  slow  to  speak ! "  But 
counting  has  never  helped  me,  and — between  ourselves 
— I  don't  think  it  has  ever  helped  anybody. 

There  is  a  surer  way  and  a  better  one :  it  is  simply 
this — think  of  Jesus.  That's  all — a  little  thought  of 
Him — thinking  He  is  there  and  wondering  what  He 
would  say,  or  what  He  would  do — that's  enough !     It 


BRAKES  DOWN/  151. 


makes  you  hold  your  tongue  till  a  bit  of  a  prayer  has 
gone  up  from  your  heart,  and  that  makes  everything 
look  so  different.  You  feel  kinder  then,  gentler,  a 
little  more  patient,  and  that  makes  you  "  slow  to 
speak,"  but  so  swift  to  help  and  swift  to  think  the 
best,  rather  than  the  worst,  of  others. 

So,  children  (to  put  all  I  have  to  say  about  this 
text  into  a  word),  whenever  you  feel  tempted  to  be 
hasty  rather  than  slow  to  speak,  think  of  Jesus,  and 
do  only  what  He  would  have  you  do,  say  only  what 
He  would  have  you  say,  and  you  will  never  regret  it. 


XXXV 

BIG-HEARTED 

"  Who  is  my  neighbour  ?  " — LuKE  x.  29. 

Not  a  very  difficult  question  to  answer,  you  would 
think.  Why,  he  had  only  to  go  next  door  and  inquire, 
if  he  wanted  to  know !  Yes,  but  we  have  more 
neighbours  than  those  who  dwell  near  us ;  only  nobody 
thought  of  this  till  Jesus  came  and  taught  us.  Before 
then  people  asked — not,  "Who  is  my  neighbour?" 
but,  "Who  isiit  my  neighbour?  Whom  am  I  not 
obliged  to  be  kind  to  ?  Whom  may  I  pass  by  and  care 
nothing  about  ? "  They  did  not  want  to  find  out 
whom  they  should  love  and  help,  but  rather  to  find 
out  whom  they  were  not  obliged  to  love.  As  if  you 
could  love  anybody  because  you  were  obliged !  Why, 
the  moment  you  say  to  love,  or  to  sympathy,  or  to 
charity,  "  You  are  obliged  to  do  it,"  it  ceases  to  be 
love  or  sympathy  or  charity,  and  becomes  duty  and 
taxes — duty  and  taxes  only. 

Do  not  get  this  kind  of  religion  into  your  heart. 
There  is  a  good  deal  of  it  about,  so  you  must  watch 
against  infection.     There  are  people,  that  is,  who  are 


BIG-HEARTED  153 


always  asking,  ''Must  I  do  this  for  Christ's  sake? 
Must  I  do  that?"  They  are  always  wanting  to  dis- 
cover what  is  the  least  they  can  do  to  be  saved.  That 
is  not  love's  way;  love's  way  is  to  find  out  what  is 
the  most  it  can  do,  and  it  does  not  wait  to  be  obliged 
at  all ;  it  simply  does  it  because  it  will  please  the 
Lord.  That  is  the  right  religion — the  religion  which 
asks — not,  "Who  isn't  my  neighbour?"  but  "Who 
is  ? — who  is  the  one  I  can  help  and  be  kind  to  ?  " 

And  Jesus  tells  us :  He  says  it  isn't  the  person 
next  door,  just  because  he  is  next  door,  or  the  person 
in  the  next  street,  because  he  happens  to  be  in  the 
next  street ;  it  is  that  person  anywhere  in  all  the 
world  who  needs  our  help,  and  to  whom  we  can 
give  it.  Remember  this.  If  there  is  a  poor,  sickly, 
suffering  child  anywhere,  and  you  can  do  anything 
to  make  things  easier  or  better  for  that  child,  then 
that  one  is  your  neighbour,  and  you  must  show 
yourself  neighbourly  to  him  by  doing  all  you  can 
just  for  Christ's  sake. 

This  is  the  way  to  grow  the  big,  kind  heart ;  the 
other  is  the  way  to  grow  the  little  and  the  mean  one. 
Be  big-hearted ;  do  not  ask,  "  What  is  the  least  I  can 
do  to  show  my  love  for  Jesus?"  but,  "What  is  the 
most  ?  "  Not,  "  Am  I  obliged  to  help  ?  "  but  "  Have  I 
a  chance  to  help  ?  "  If  you  have,  then  take  it — that's 
the  way  to  grow  like  Jesus. 


XXXVl 

MULTUM  IN  PARVO 
"  Even  a  child  is  known  by  his  doings." — Pkov.  xx.  i  i. 

"  Even  a  child !  "  What  a  way  of  speaking ! — as  if 
a  child  were  of  no  importance  !  You  don't  think  so — 
and  I  don't  think  so — and  Solomon  didn't  think  so ;  it 
was  only  his  way  of  putting  it.  What  he  means  to 
say  is  this — for  all  that  a  child  is  so  little,  you  can 
tell  what  kind  of  a  man  or  woman  he  or  she  will 
grow  up  to  be. 

It  is  said  you  may  know  a  tree  by  its  fruit.  That 
is  so ;  but  it  is  only  one  way  of  knowing  it.  You 
can  tell  it  by  its  leaf  as  well  as  by  its  fruit,  for 
every  tree  has  its  own  kind  of  leaf — the  oak  has  one 
sort,  the  chestnut  another,  and  the  fir-tree  another 
still. 

You  could  even  tell  a  tree  by  its  bark,  for  every 
kind  of  tree  has  its  own  sort  of  bark.  Or,  if  you  were 
to  cut  out  a  bit  from  the  tree,  a  good  carpenter  would 
guess  very  sharply  the  name  of  the  tree  the  block 
came  from.     And  even  when  the  tree  is  only  a  little 


MULTUM  IN  PARVO  155 

baby,  an  inch  or  two  above  the  ground,  if  you  were  to 
cut  a  little  bit  off  (though  it  could  ill  spare  it !),  yet 
there  are  people  who  would  tell  you  what  sort  it  was 
from  that  little  specimen.  But,  more  wonderful  still, 
when  it  is  only  a  seed  there  are  wise  men  who  could 
tell  you  for  certain  what  kind  of  a  tree  would  grow 
out  of  that  seed  once  it  was  planted.  You  see,  every 
bit  of  a  tree  tells  what  it  is,  when  it  is  old  and  wrinkled, 
but  also  when  it  is  young  and  smooth.  And  it  is  just 
the  same  with  us ;  we  are  all  of  a  piece,  so  that  even  a 
child  can  be  known  by  his  doings. 

"  It  doesn't  matter  what  I  do  now,"  I  heard  a  boy 
say  to  another  the  other  day;  "it'll  be  different  when 
I  am  a  man."  Oh !  that  is  a  big,  big  mistake.  It 
is  what  you  are  now,  and  what  you  do  now,  that  shows 
what  you  will  be  by-and-by. 

A  little  Swedish  boy  tumbled  out  of  a  window  and 
was  hurt,  but  he  would  not  cry.  The  king,  Gustavus 
Adolphus,  said,  "That  boy  will  make  a  man  to  be 
depended  on  in  an  emergency."  And  he  did;  he 
became  the  famous  General  Bauer. 

A  woman  fell  into  a  river  in  Italy,  but  though  there 
was  a  crowd  of  men  standing  by,  no  one  dared  to  jump 
in  after  her.  But  a  little  fellow  did;  he  struck  the 
water  almost  as  soon  as  herself,  and  managed  to  keep 
her  up  till  help  came.  Everybody  said  that  the  boy 
was  very  daring,  very  kind,  very  quick,  but  also  very 
reckless,  and  so  he  showed  himself  to  be  when  he  was 
a  man,  for  that  boy  was  Garibaldi. 


156  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

There  was  a  little  fellow  who  used  to  paint  and  draw 
very  cleverly  and  very  patiently.  A  famous  old  painter 
watched  him  for  a  little  while,  and  then  said,  "That 
boy  will  beat  me  one  day."  And  so  he  did,  for  he  was 
Michael  Angelo. 

Even  a  child  then,  you  see,  is  known  by  his  doings. 
Never  think  it  doesn't  matter  what  you  do  now ;  it 
matters  everything. 

There  was  a  rich  man  in  Manchester  who  died 
some  time  ago — John  Eylands,  "the  Wellington  of 
commerce,"  as  he  was  called.  He  lived  to  nearly 
ninety,  and  went  to  his  business  every  day.  One 
day,  however,  at  the  last,  when  his  coachman  drove 
him  as  usual  to  the  grand  building  where  his  office 
was,  he  turned  away  peevishly,  saying,  "  No,  no !  I 
want  to  go  to  my  own  place."  His  mind  had  gone 
back  over  sixty  years  to  the  little  humble  shop  from 
which  he  had  started.  He  had  forgotten  all  about 
the  great  wealth  and  the  grand  buildings  he  had 
made  since  then ;  he  was  back  again  to  the  early 
beginning. 

And  why  ?  Because  it  is  what  we  learn  and  what 
we  do  when  we  are  young  that  sticks  longest  and 
closest  to  us  all  our  days.  So,  children,  look  to  your 
doings  now,  if  you  would  have  them  right  and  good 
and  true  when  you  grow  up.  Whatever  you  do,  do  it 
as  if  Jesus  were  with  you.  Get  into  the  habit  of 
thinking  of  Him,  speaking  to  Him,  consulting  Him 
about    everything.      It    is    a    habit    you    can    learn. 


MULTUM  IN  PARVO 


157 


and  it  is  the  sweetest  and  best  you  ever  will  ac- 
quire. Look  to  Him  and  keep  with  Him,  and  you  will 
never  need  to  be  ashamed  of  your  doings.  Nobody 
ever  had  a  heartache  yet  for  what  he  did  to  please 
Jesus. 


XXXVII 
PILOT  WANTED/ 

"Made  shipwreck." — i  Tim.  i.  19. 

There's  nothing  sadder !  To  see  the  gallant  ship  clear 
out  of  the  harbour,  with  all  sail  set  and  pennons 
flying — like  a  bright,  strong  youth  going  out  to  face 
the  world — and  then  to  see  the  same  ship,  when  the 
storm  is  past  and  the  sun  has  come  forth  again,  lying 
broken  among  the  rocks,  a  poor,  crushed,  bruised, 
battered  thing — this  is  as  sad  a  sight  as  we  can  ever 
see.  I  have  seen  it,  seen  it  many  times ;  seen  it  with 
ships  and  seen  it  with  men  and  women,  and  it  always 
makes  the  heart  ache. 

Let  me  tell  you  about  a  couple  of  shipwrecks  that 
have  something  to  teach  us.  There  was  the  Nepaul, 
one  of  the  finest  vessels  we  had  in  our  merchant  fleet. 
A  few  years  ago  she  set  out  from  China,  homeward 
bound,  and  passed  in  safety  through  all  the  dangers 
of  the  great  broad  seas  she  had  to  cover,  till  she  had 
almost  reached  Devonport,  her  destination.  But  there 
was  a  thick  fog   hanging   over   the  waters,   and   the 

captain's  signals  for  a  pilot  could  not  be  seen.      He 

158 


PILOT  WANTED!  159 

should  have  anchored  then  and  waited.  Ah!  it's  a 
great  thing,  children,  to  learn,  when  you  have  done 
all  that  you  can  do,  to  stand,  simply  stand,  and  wait 
for  God  to  work.  But  the  captain  would  not  wait ; 
he  thought  he  knew  the  coast  well  enough  to  pilot 
his  vessel  himself  into  Devonport,  and  so  he  went 
on  and  on,  making  for  the  harbour,  till  suddenly 
there  was  a  crash  and  a  lurch,  and  the  beautiful 
ship  was  a  total  wreck — a  wreck  almost  within  reach 
of  the  haven ! 

What  was  the  captain's  fault?  Presumption.  He 
would  not  wait  for  a  pilot ;  he  thought  he  knew  as 
much  of  the  coast  as  the  men  did  who  spent  their 
lives  in  learning.  And  presumption  is  our  great  sin 
when  we  think  we  can  get  to  heaven  without  the 
great  Pilot,  Jesus  Christ.  We  can't  do  it ;  we  may 
get  very  near ;  God  may  be  very  good  and  very 
patient  with  us,  and  protect  us  in  many  dangers, 
but  no  one  can  enter  the  Good  Haven  unless  the 
flag  of  the  Cross  shows  that  Jesus  has  the  command. 
Kun  up  the  flag  now,  my  bairnies ;  let  Jesus  have 
the  command  of  your  life.  When  the  pilot  comes  on 
board  the  captain  steps  down ;  he  becomes  then  but 
the  chief  officer,  who  takes  his  instructions  from  the 
pilot.  That's  how  it  must  be  with  us,  if  we  would 
enter  the  Harbour  at  last,  with  full  sail  and  happiness, 
to  receive  an  "abundant"  entrance.  Don't  trust  to 
your  own  knowledge  or  your  own  cleverness;  trust 
Jesus,  "Jesus  only,"  if  you  would  avoid  the  shipwreck 


i6o  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

of  your  life.  Do  it  at  once ;  you  can't  tell  the  rocks 
you  may  have  to  steer  through  to-morrow. 

The  other  wreck  was  just  as  sad. 

The  steamship  Central  America,  on  a  voyage  from 
New  York  to  San  Francisco,  sprang  a  leak  in  mid- 
ocean.  A  vessel,  noticing  her  signal  of  distress,  bore 
down  toward  her.  Seeing  the  danger  to  be  very 
great,  the  captain  of  the  rescue-ship  spoke  to  the 
Central  America :  "  What  is  amiss  ?  " 

"We  are  in  bad  repair,  and  going  down;  lie  by  till 
morning,"  was  the  answer. 

"  Let  me  take  your  passengers  on  board  now." 

But  it  was  night,  and  the  commander  of  the  Central 
America  did  not  like  to  send  his  passengers,  for  that 
would  cost  the  price  of  their  passage,  and  thinking  the 
ship  could  be  kept  afloat  a  while  longer,  replied,  "  Lie 
by  till  morning." 

Once  more  the  captain  of  the  rescue-ship  cried, 
"  You  had  better  let  me  take  them  now." 

"Lie  by  till  morning,"  was  sounded  back  through 
the  trumpet. 

About  an  hour  and  a  half  afterward  her  lights  were 
missed,  and  though  no  sound  had  been  heard,  the 
Central  America  had  gone  down,  and  all  on  board 
perished,  just  because  it  had  been  thought  they  could 
be  saved  better  at  another  time. 

That  is  how  most  people  are  wrecked.  It  is  by 
delay — by  putting  off  and  putting  off  to  a  more  con- 
venient season.      Children,  we  have  never  any  right 


PILOT  WANTED!  l6i 

to  study  our  own  convenience  only :  we  need  to  study 
the  convenience  of  others  as  well,  or  we  shall  soon 
be  all  wrong,  and  put  others  wrong  too.  Now,  what- 
ever time  we  may  think  convenient  for  us,  there  is 
only  one  time  that  is  convenient  for  God.  That  time 
is  Now!  ''Now  is  the  accepted  time:  Now  is  the 
day  of  salvation."  "  Put  off,  put  off  !  " — that  is  what 
Satan  whispers.  "Now,  Now,  NOW  !  " — that  is  what 
God  is  calling.  Which  voice  will  you  obey?  The 
Lord  help  you  to  decide  for  Christ  now,  so,  over  what- 
ever seas  you  may  have  to  sail,  or  through  whatever 
storms  you  may  have  to  pass,  you  will  be  "  kept " — 
"  kept  by  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  ready  to 
be  revealed  "  when  the  fogs  are  lifted. 


XXXVIII 

THE  KIND  HEART 

"  Thou  Shalt  not  see  thy  brother's  ox  or  his  sheep  go  astray,  and 
hide  thyself  from  them  ;  thou  shalt  in  any  case  bring  them  again 
unto  thy  brother."— Deut.  xxii.  i. 

Let  me  tell  you  one  of  the  finest  things  I  have  heard 
of  for  a  long  time.  A  number  of  schoolboys  were  going 
home  together,  when,  in  a  quiet  street,  they  came  upon 
an  old  broken-down  cart,  with  an  older  and  still  more 
broken-down  horse  between  the  shafts.  It  was  such  a 
poor,  weak,  starved-looking  thing  !  What  do  you  think 
the  boys  did  ?  Tease  it  ?  laugh  at  it  ?  jeer  at  it  ?  No  ; 
they  did  something  better  and  grander  than  that :  they 
clubbed  their  coppers  among  themselves,  went  off  to 
the  nearest  corn-chandler's,  and  bought  the  horse  a 
good  feed  of  oats  !  How  it  munched !  How  it  wagged 
its  old  ears !  How  it  held  up  its  head  inches  higher 
when  the  oats  were  finished  !  These  were  gentle  boys  : 
every  one  had  the  making  of  a  Christian  gentleman  in 
him.  They  had  the  Kind  Heart.  When  they  saw  the 
poor  thing  they  didn't  "hide  "  from  it— did  not,  that 
is,  pretend  they  hadn't  noticed  how  weak  and  hungry  it 
was  :  they  saw  what  was  wanted,  and  set  to  work  them- 


THE  KIND  HEART 


selves  to  do  the  best  they  could.  Wasn't  it  a  fine 
thing  ?  If  you  had  seen  it  you  couldn't  have  helped 
saying,  "  God  bless  those  lads  !  "  Ay  !  and  He  would 
bless  them,  too, — as  He  always  does  bless  the  Kind 
Heart. 

And  it  is  all  about  the  Kind  Heart  this  text  is 
speaking.  What  it  says  is, — If  you  find  any  dumb 
creature  that  has  gone  astray  and  got  lost,  and  you 
know  to  whom  it  belongs,  then  don't  pretend  you 
haven't  seen  it,  and  so  allow  it  to  be  lost.  You  have 
seen  it :  that  is  enough.  Be  ready  to  take  a  little 
trouble  to  restore  it  to  its  owner  agani.  If  it  were 
your  horse,  or  your  dog,  or  your  sheep  that  was  lost, 
this  is  what  you  would  like  somebody  to  do  for  you. 
Then  be  ready — always  ready — even  though  it  puts  you 
to  a  bit  of  trouble,  to  do  for  others  what  you  would 
have  others  do  for  you. 

But  if  we  are  told,  as  God's  children,  that  this  is 
what  we  must  do  for  the  poorest  of  poor  dumb  creatures, 
how  much  more  must  we  be  ready  to  do  it  for  boys  and 
girls  and  men  and  women  ?  The  poorest  and  saddest 
of  these  is  worth  millions  more  than  all  the  oxen  or 
sheep  in  the  world.  Yet  they  sometimes  go  astray : 
they  go  wrong,  and  they  do  wrong,  and  wander  away 
from  Jesus.  Then  when  we  find  them,  wherever  they 
are  ;  when  we  see  what  has  gone  wrong  and  how  it  has 
gone  wrong,  we  mustn't  ''hide"  ourselves — mustn't 
pretend  we  haven't  seen.  We  have  seen — Jesus  knows 
it— and   that  is   enough.      We  must  now   do  all    we 


i64  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

can  to  put  right  what  has  gone  wrong  and  bring  back 
the  wandering  ones  to  God,  Who  is  the  great  Owner  of 
us  all.  This  is  what  Jesus  did  for  us.  We  had  all 
wandered  away  from  God,  like  lost  sheep,  and  He  saw 
our  mistakes  and  our  sins  and  our  unhappiness,  and  He 
came  to  bring  us  back  and  save  us.  That  was  the  Kind 
Heart :  it  is  kindest  of  all  in  Jesus.  But  we  must 
have  it  too  if  we  belong  to  the  Lord,  and  this  is  the  way 
both  to  get  it  and  show  it — by  thinking  for  others, 
caring  for  others  and  not  for  ourselves  only,  and  by 
being  always  ready  with  a  helping  hand  and  a  helping 
heart  wherever  and  whenever  they  are  needed. 


XXXIX 

INWARD  RICHES 

"Goodly  pearls." — Matt.  xiii.  45. 

Do  you  like  to  hear  about  jewels  and  gems  ?  I  should 
think  you  did,  by  the  hearty  way  you  o^lways  sing  the 

hymn — 

"  When  He  cometli,  when  He  cometh, 
To  make  up  His  jewels." 

Let  me  speak,  then,  for  a  little  about  pearls.  You  know 
what  they  are  like — little  snowdrops,  round  and  smooth. 
They  cost  a  deal :  you  needn't  expect  to  be  able  to 
buy  one  by  saving  up  your  school  ha'pence.  Cleopatra 
— you  have  heard  of  her? — ^swallowed  a  pearl  of  the 
value  of  ;^8o,ooo !  Think  of  that !  It  is  all  very  well 
for  one  swallow  to  make  a  summer,  but  to  swallow  a 
fortune  in  this  fashion  is  a  luxury  which  only  Eastern 
princesses,  or  people  in  story-books,  can  enjoy.  It 
has  been  calculated  that  if  Adam  had  been  set  to  till 
the  ground  at  fifteen  shillings  a  week — the  pay  of 
many  a  day-labourer — and  he  had  tried  to  save  up, 
he  wouldn't,  up  to  the  present  time,  have  saved  as 
much  as  the  Queen  gets  in  a  year  !     And  yet  there  are 


i66  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

many  people  in  the  land  far  richer  than  the  Queen. 
How  long,  then,  do  yon  think  it  would  take  you  to  save 
out  of  your  school  ha'pence  enough  to  buy  a  pearl  like 
Cleopatra's?  Do  you  think  I  am  going  to  tell  you? 
Not  very  likely !  In  the  first  case  I  am  not  very  good 
at  figures  ;  and  in  the  next,  this  is  such  a  tough  sum 
that  I  think  it  had  better  be  kept  for  an  "imposi- 
tion "  task !  Suggest  it  to  your  master,  with  my 
compliments. 

Any  way,  we  see  that  these  pearls  cost  a  deal ; 
Cleopatra's  was  a  mere  trifle  to  some  of  them.  There 
was  one  sold  to  the  Shah  of  Persia  for  ;^  180,000,  and 
another  once  fetched  ^150,000.  It's  fine  to  think 
about  such  great  sums,  is  it  not? — makes  you  feel 
quite  princely  or  princessly !  But  the  banker's  clerk, 
who  tots  up  millions  in  the  ledger,  has  to  be  content 
with  a  humble  chop  when  he  gets  home,  and  we  shall 
have  to  get  along  with  our  ha'pence,  as  best  we  may, 
in  spite  of  all  our  familiarity  with  these  great  figures. 

Yet,  though  it  costs  so  much,  how  do  you  think  the 
pearl  is  made  ?  By  real  Christian  gentleness !  Yes  ! 
— that's  all !  It  is  in  this  way.  When  the  oyster  is 
quietly  minding  its  own  business  and  not  interfering 
with  anybody,  some  intruder  comes  upon  it — a  grain 
of  sand,  or  bit  of  metal,  or  something  of  that  kind — 
and  the  intruder  won't  go  away  again,  but  settles  down, 
and  makes  up  his  mind  to  stay.  What  would  you 
do  in  a  case  of  that  kind?  I  am  afraid  to  think  of 
what  you  would  do ;  afraid  to  think  of  what  I  would 


INWARD  RICHES  167 


do !  But  I  like  to  think  of  what  the  oyster  does,  and 
I  feel  very  much  humbled  before  its  better  spirit. 
Instead  of  fretting,  sulking,  bemoaning  its  misfortune, 
or  calling  in  the  police,  it  quietly  sets  to  work  to 
change  the  misfortune  into  a  blessing!  It  kills  the 
intruder — but  kills  him  with  kindness.  It  gives  him 
the  very  best  it  has  got ;  it  lays  before  him,  and  loads 
around  him,  the  sweetest  and  finest  dishes  it  can  make, 
with  the  result  that  the  intruder  perishes,  and  the 
oyster,  good,  kind  thing,  is  so  sorry  about  this  mishap 
that  she  straightway  embalms  the  body,  and  gives  it 
the  costliest  coffin  she  can  make — and  that  is  the  pearl. 
Yes ;  the  finest  pearl,  which  costs  thousands  and  thou- 
sands of  pounds,  is  only  the  coffin  which  the  kindly 
oyster  made  for  something  or  other  that  was  very 
impertinent  and  came  where  it  wasn't  wanted.  You 
can  test  this  for  yourself.  Cut  open  one  of  these 
pearls — the  hundred-and-eighty-thousand-pound  one 
will  do — and  at  the  heart  of  it  you  will  find  the 
intruder,  better  embalmed  than  Joseph  was — and 
better  than  he  deserved  to  be ! 

Can  a  little  lowly  shell-fish  show  a  grand  and  loving 
spirit  like  this,  and  shall  we  fail  to  show  a  similar 
one?  However  humble  our  teacher  may  be,  then,  let 
us  learn  from  the  oyster  the  gracious  art  of  turning 
evil  into  good,  and  making  pearls  of  the  very  things 
that  would  otherwise  do  us  harm.  It  is  the  only  way 
in  which  we  can  grow  up  right,  good,  loving  men  and 
women. 


i68  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

Does  anybody,  for  instance,  do  you  an  injury  ? 
Then,  if  you  think  of  that  injury,  and  of  it  only,  it 
will  rankle,  and  rankle,  and  fester,  and  fester  in  your 
mind  till  it  makes  the  heart  bitter  and  sour  and  evil. 
But  forgive  it:  think  that  perhaps  the  injury  v^as  not 
meant  after  all,  or  that  the  one  who  did  it  was  not 
aware  of  all  that  he  was  doing  ;  bring  a  kind  and  loving 
thought  to  bear  on  it  all,  and  at  once  the  evil  work 
is  stopped,  the  bitterness  departs,  and  you  have  made 
your  own  heart  sweeter  for  the  grace  of  pardon  that 
has  come  into  it.  You  have  healed  the  wound  with  a 
"goodly  pearl." 

Have  you  heard  something  naughty  and  bad  about 
some  one?  Don't  let  it  get  into  your  heart  so  as  to 
make  you  think  evil  thoughts  of  the  one  who  has  been 
spoken  against.  Wait  till  you  hiow  ;  maybe  the  story 
is  not  true,  or  maybe  it  has  been  exaggerated.  Believe 
the  good  till  the  evil  is  proved,  and  even  then  try  to 
think  of  what  provocation  or  temptation  the  other  may 
have  had,  and  remember  that  you  yourself  may  be 
tempted.  Do  not  take  delight  in  the  wrong-doings 
of  others ;  try  rather  to  cover  them  with  a  cloak  of 
charity,  as  the  oyster  covers  the  thing  that  else  would 
irritate  with  a  coating  of  precious  pearl.  This  is  to 
be  really  loving  and  Christ-like,  and  by  doing  it  your 
own  soul  will  be  richer. 

It  was  BO — was  it  not  ? — that  Jesus  made  the  cross 
itself  become  so  precious  to  us  all  ?  At  one  time  it  was 
looked  on  as  the  most  hateful  and  hideous  thing  in  the 


INWARD  RICHES  169 


world,  but  now  it  has  become  the  best,  the  grandest, 
and  most  beautiful.  Why  ?  Because,  even  when  He 
was  on  the  cruel  cross,  Jesus  prayed  for  those  who 
were  ill-treatincr  Him,  and  all  that  He  said  and  did 
there  was  loving  and  pitiful  and  kind.  It  was  there 
— when  men  meant  destruction — that  Jesus  brought 
in  salvation — the  salvation  which  has  become  for  us 
all  "  the  pearl  of  great  price."  May  we  all  learn,  then, 
the  sweet  and  Christ-like  art  of  praying  for  our  enemies, 
and  doing  kindness  to  those  who  are  unkind  to  us,  and 
changing  all  injuries  into  pearls  ! 


XL 

MONKEY  TRICKS 

"Apes." — I  Kings  x.  22. 

These  were  some  of  the  curious  creatures  whicli 
Solomon's  ships  brought  from  afar.  Maybe  you  don't 
admire  his  taste,  and  maybe  you  do,  but  monkeys  are 
queer  things  any  way.  They  are  so  like  ourselves,  and 
yet  so  unlike,  that  it  makes  one  positively  shy  some- 
times to  look  at  a  cageful  of  them — almost  seems  as 
if  we  were  being  introduced  to  our  poor  relations, 
who  don't  know  how  to  behave  themselves  in  good 
company !  One  of  them  was  so  human-like,  through 
all  his  tricky  ways,  that  an  enthusiastic  Irish  priest, 
who  had  been  watching  him,  so  far  forgot  himself  as 
to  cry  out,  "  Spake  but  a  wurrd  an'  I'll  baptize  ye  !  " 

There  was  a  quaint  old  preacher  who  once  said  that 
Satan  was  God's  ape !  There  was  a  good  deal  of 
shrewdness  in  the  remark :  it  expressed  very  much. 
Whatever  God  does,  Satan  always  mimics ;  he  gets 
up  an  imitation  somewhat  like  the  original,  and 
palms  that  off  for  the  real  thing,  and  a  great  many 
people — nations  even — are  certain  to  be  duped  by  it. 


MONKEY  TRICKS  171 

Learned  people  speak  about  "original"  sin;  I  suspect, 
however,  when  you  come  to  look  at  it  closely,  you  will 
find  very  little  that  is  original  about  it.  It  is  all  the 
same  old  story — an  attempt  to  make  evil  look  like 
good,  and  pass  off  an  imitation  for  the  genuine  article. 
There  is  not  much  that  is  original  about  it,  in  this 
sense  at  all  events. 

You  children  are  sometimes  called  "  young  monkeys," 
— but  that  is  meant  kindly,  and  is  spoken  with  a  smile, 
and  you  don't  mind  it.  I  do  not  think,  however,  you 
would  like  it  so  well  if  you  were  called  apes.  Yet — 
would  you  believe  it  ? — not  a  few  bright  boys  and 
girls  come  to  be  little  else !  The  older  they  grow, 
and  the  higher  they  climb,  the  more  of  the  monkey 
they  show  !     See  how. 

There's  Charlie :  he's  a  great  mimic — can  "  take  off  " 
almost  anybody.  Isn't  he  funny !  and  doesn't  he 
make  you  laugh !  Yes ;  and  it  is  that  laugh  of  yours 
that  is  spoiling  the  lad.  He  likes  it,  he  lives  for  it, 
watches  for  every  chance  to  draw  it  out,  and  so  is 
always  taking  notice  of  people's  weak  points,  their 
oddities  and  defects,  that  he  may  show  them  all  up 
again  before  you  and  others,  in  order  to  draw  out  that 
laugh  which  is  becoming  the  sweetest  of  perfumes  to 
him.  Poor  Charlie !  he  doesn't  know,  doesn't  think, 
that  he  is  killing  off  all  the  best  that  is  in  him.  But 
he  is :  he  is  taking  the  surest  way  of  coming  at  length 
to  be  unable  to  see  the  good  that  is  in  people,  and 
the  things  that  are  lovely  and  strong.     There  was  an 


172  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

artist  once — Breughel — who  had  so  given  himself  to  the 
painting  of  witches,  and  imps,  and  satyrs,  and  creatures 
of  that  sort  only,  that  when  at  length  he  wanted  to 
paint  a  portrait  he  could  not  do  it.  He  was  sure  to 
make  the  face  impish  somehow — putting  a  leer  into 
the  eyes,  or  a  sneer  on  the  lips.  By  watching  for 
these  things  too  much  he  had  come  to  be  unable  to 
see  anything  else.  Poor  Charlie  is  fairly  on  the  way 
to  do  the  same  if  he  does  not  quickly  stop  his  clever 
apishness,  and  set  himself  to  copy,  not  the  worst,  but 
the  best  that  is  in  other  people. 

And  there  is  Tom  :  how  his  tail  is  growing !  He 
began  with  smoking :  he  thought  it  made  a  man  of 
him !  What  a  caricature !  Bad  is  the  best  in  a  case 
like  this,  but  this  is  about  the  worst.  Once  you  could 
see  l^om — a  bright-faced,  promising  lad  as  ever  was — 
but  now  you  can  only  see  a  big  cigarette,  with  a  little 
boy  dragged  at  the  end  of  it.  If  he  only  knew  the 
figure  he  cuts  !  Unfortunately,  the  mirror  that  shows 
us  our  true  selves  has  yet  to  be  invented,  and  Tom 
goes  on,  dragged  by  suction,  at  the  end  of  his  cigarette. 
And  now  he  is  learning  something  more ;  he  has  got 
acquainted  with  Ben  Eaikes,  the  "knowing  one,"  who 
is  in  the  secret  of  all  the  racing-stables,  and  Tom  can 
already  give  the  wink,  and  talk  turf,  and  invite  the 
betting,  even  as  Ben  does.  Poor  Tom !  there's  good 
stuff  in  him,  but  he  is  going  all  wrong,  for  want  of 
seeing  the  difference  between  imitating  and  aping. 

It's   the   same  with  Bessie :    she  reads  novels  and 


MONKEY  TRICKS  173 


romances,  and  a  great  deal  besides  that  is  very  good 
in  its  way,  but  what  does  she  make  of  them  all? 
Sham,  gilding,  veneer  only !  One  day  she  is  sweet 
and  gentle — everything  you  could  wish ;  but  the  next 
day  she  is  as  proud  as  Lucifer,  and  everything  you 
don't  like.  The  fact  is,  Bessie  isn't  there  at  all: 
there  is  only  an  ape — or  apess,  if  that  is  the  right 
gender — who  is  trying  to  live  over  again  the  characters 
that  have  taken  her  fancy  in  the  latest  novel  she  has 
been  reading.  It  is  a  bit  hard  on  her  mother ;  when 
she  wakes  uj)  in  the  morning  the  good  woman  never 
knows  whether  she  has  a  princess  for  a  daughter — a 
princess  waiting  for  the  prince  to  come  along — or 
whether  she  has  got  a  pirate's  bride,  who  cuts  off 
heads,  and  smashes  things,  and  behaves  strangely. 
Sometimes  she  is  the  one,  sometimes  the  other,  but 
never  anything  for  long.  It's  different  with  her 
sister,  Dora;  she  reads  quite  as  much  as  Bessie 
does,  but  she  sticks  by  her  New  Testament,  and 
whatever  squares  with  that  in  the  books  she  reads 
she  tries  to  imitate :  the  rest  she  happily  forgets. 
The  one  is  genuine,  trying  to  be  better,  but  the  other 
is  only  aping. 

Learn  to  imitate,  but  don't  ape.  Never  try  to  raise 
a  laugh  at  the  expense  of  other  people's  feelings  or 
failings.  As  you  grow  older  you  will  find  all  the 
world  of  difference  between  being  laughed  at  and 
laughed  tulth.  You  only  laugh  at  an  ape,  but  you 
laugh  luith  the  good-hearted  boy  or  girl  who  is  making 


174  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

bright,  genuine,  but  innocent  fun.  Imitate :  don't 
ape.  To  imitate  is  to  copy  the  best  we  see  or  read 
about,  so  as  to  make  it  a  part  of  ourselves,  and  have 
it  for  our  very  own,  everywhere  and  always,  even  when 
we  are  not  thinking  about  it.  But  to  ape ! — this  is 
to  make  mere  clowns  of  ourselves,  to  amuse  or  sadden 
other  j)eople,  and  to  pay  for  the  privilege  of  doing  so 
by  parting  with  the  best  that  is  in  us,  and  spoiling 
for  ourselves  the  days  that  are  yet  to  be,  and  the 
beautiful  things  that  are  to  be  seen  in  the  world,  and 
are  to  be  found  in  everybody,  if  we  will  only  seek  them 
out,  rather  than  seek  for  their  failings  and  oddities. 
Be  genuine,  and  imitate  only  that  which  you  would 
yourself  like  to  be  when  you  grow  up.  Keep  clear  of 
the  ape ! 


XLI 

BIG  AND  LITTLE 

"Some  great  thing." — 2  Kings  v.  13. 

I  HEAiiD  once  of  a  poor  half-witted  fellow  who  was 
found  shivering  on  a  bitter,  cold  winter  night  on  a 
lonely  country  road.  The  moon  was  shining  very 
brightly,  and  it  turned  out  that  when  the  poor,  half- 
witted lad  saw  the  shadow  of  the  parish  church,  so 
deep  and  dark  before  him,  he  had  come  to  the  con- 
clusion that  the  brook  had  overflowed,  and  he  was 
waiting  there  nntil  the  water  had  subsided,  so  that  he 
might  pass  safely  over.  Hindered  by  a  shadow  from 
going  on!  Oh!  there  are  many  people  like  him, 
though  you  might  hesitate  to  say  they  were  half- 
witted. 

If  there  is  one  shadow  that  does  this  more  than 
another — that  hinders  us  from  doing  the  good  in  the 
world  we  might  do,  it  is  the  ambition  to  do  some  gi^eat 
thing  that  is  far  off,  before  we  will  attempt  to  do  some 
good  thing  that  is  very  near,  but  may  seem  very  little. 
Children,  you  must  learn  to  face  that  shadow  and  force 
your  way  through  it.     When  once  we  get  into  the 


176  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 


way  of  thinking  or  speaking  of  things  as  great  or  little, 
we  are  as  far  out  of  our  right  calculations  as  if  we  had 
twisted  the  multiplication  table  upside-down  and  any- 
how !  There  is  nothing  little  with  God,  and  nothing 
great.  A  dewdrop  is  as  dear  and  as  precious  to  Him 
as  a  great  star.  He  rules  and  reigns  over  the  whole 
world,  and  yet  He  looks  after  the  sparrow's  fall.  As 
He  judges  of  things  so  must  we — not  by  their  bulk, 
not  by  their  glitter,  but  by  whether  they  are  doing 
the  thing  they  were  meant  to  do.  The  rivet  isn't  so 
great  as  the  engine,  but  if  the  rivet  gets  loose  the 
engine  breaks  down,  and  that  shows  that  the  thing 
we  call  little  may  be  as  important  as  the  thing  we 
call  great. 

Treasure  it  in  your  hearts  then,  children,  that  there 
is  something  every  one  of  you  can  do  for  God.  It  is 
not  for  you  to  ask  whether  it  is  great  or  little,  but 
only  to  ask  whether  it  is  the  thing  God  would  have 
you  do  for  Him  tJie7i.  Oh,  the  glory  of  doing  little 
things  for  Christ,  and  doing  them  lovingly  and  doing 
them  well,  just  for  His  sake  ! 

That  was  a  fine  thing  I  read  about  the  other  day. 
A  policeman  in  Glasgow  saw  a  poor  woman  pick  up 
something  from  the  street,  quickly  put  it  in  her  apron, 
and  then  hurry  on.  Thinking  it  was  something  valu- 
able, he  went  up  and  asked  her  what  it  was  she  was 
concealing.  The  woman  was  very  confused,  and  would 
not  answer  him  for  a  time,  and  that,  of  course,  only 
confirmed  his  suspicions.     But  at  last  she  opened  her 


BIG  AND  LITTLE  177 

apron,  and  what  was  there? — only  a  few  pieces  of 
broken  glass.  The  important  policeman  felt,  of  course, 
a  little  crestfallen.  Her  explanation,  however,  was 
very  touching.  "  I  thought,"  she  said,  looking  at  the 
bits  of  broken  glass,  "that  I  would  take  them  out  of 
the  way  of  the  bairns'  feet."  You  know  in  Scotland, 
in  the  summer-time,  the  children  like  to  go  about 
barefooted,  and  this  dear,  good  woman,  poor  as  she 
was,  had  a  motherly  heart,  and  removed  out  of  the 
way  of  the  children's  feet  what  might  have  hurt  them. 
"That  was  not  a  very  great  thing,"  some  might  say; 
but  the  angels  would  say  it  was  one  of  the  greatest, 
because  it  was  done  in  the  spirit  of  love.  Don't  you 
think,  when  you  get  the  chance,  you  also  might  do 
something  like  this? 

Couldn't  you,  too,  do  something  or  say  something 
sometimes  that  might  help  and  encourage  another? 
Many  years  ago  a  gentleman  was  visiting  a  little 
village  school  in  Ireland.  One  boy  was  very  back- 
ward in  his  spelling.  "  I  can  make  nothing  of  that 
lad,"  said  the  teacher;  "he  is  the  stupidest  boy  in  the 
school."  The  gentleman  was  surprised  at  this,  for 
the  lad  had  a  bright,  intelligent  face.  Putting  one 
of  his  hands  on  the  little  fellow's  noble  brow,  he  said, 
"  One  of  these  days  you  may  be  a  fine  scholar ;  don't 
give  up ;  try,  my  boy,  try ! "  The  kind  word  and 
kind  look  roused  the  soul  of  the  boy.  From  that 
day  he  applied  himself  diligently  to  his  tasks,  and 
afterwards  came  to  be  known  throughout  the  world 


178  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

as  the  great  preacher  and  scholar,  Dr.  Adam  Clarke. 
Was  it  a  little  thing  this  gentleman  did  that  day? 
Perhaps  it  was,  but  it  was  like  a  little  seed  that  after- 
wards produced  great  fruit. 

It  was  the  end  of  the  Dorcas  for  the  season,  and 
two  young  girls  were  busy  making  flannel  dresses 
for  the  poor.  "There,"  said  one  of  them,  laying 
down  her  work  with  a  sigh  of  relief,  "that  is  all 
that  I  need  do  for  a  while."  "Wait  just  a  minute 
more,"  said  the  other,  and  she  went  into  another 
room,  and  came  back  with  some  skeins  of  silk  and 
a  few  knots  of  ribbon  and  lace.  "What  are  you 
doing?"  her  companion  asked,  as  she  saw  her  putting 
a  dainty  crimson  edging  here,  a  little  frilling  there, 
and  fastening  on  the  bright  ribbons.  "Why,  it  only 
takes  a  minute  or  two  to  do  it,"  said  the  other,  with 
a  smile,  "and  I  want  to  make  the  dress  pretty  for 
some  mother's  baby."  Wasn't  that  a  kind  thing  to 
do  ?  And  yet  it  seemed  so  little !  But  a  great  deal 
of  good  came  from  it.  One  poor  mother  sobbed  when 
she  received  that  dress.  "  Only  to  think,"  she  said, 
"  that  any  one  cared  so  much  for  my  baby !  " 

Make  up  your  minds  about  it,  children,  that  the 
little  things  may  be  the  very  greatest.  Naaman  the 
leper  wanted  to  be  healed,  and  the  prophet  told  him 
to  go  and  wash  in  the  Jordan.  That  was  such  a 
simple  thing  to  do,  however,  that  he  felt  insulted. 
If  the  prophet  had  asked  him  to  do  something  great 
or  very  difficult,  then   he   might   have   supposed   he 


BIG  AND  LITTLE  179 

would  get  healing ;  but  simply  to  wash  in  the  Jordan ! 
— that  seemed  too  little  a  thing  for  so  great  a  man 
to  do.  And  yet  when  he  did  it  at  last  in  simple 
faith,  behold,  he  was  healed ! 

It  is  just  the  same  with  our  salvation.  We  are 
asked  to  believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ;  the  pro- 
mise is,  that  we  shall  then  be  saved.  Is  it  a  little 
thing  to  believe  in  Jesus?  If  it  is,  it  is  little  as  the 
seed  is  little,  as  the  first  beams  of  the  dawn  are  little, 
as  the  first  trickle  of  the  fountain  is  little;  by-and- 
by  the  little  seed  becomes  a  great  tree,  the  little  beams 
of  the  dawn  become  the  glaring  noontide  light,  and 
the  little  fountain  becomes  the  broad,  deep  river.  Do 
the  little  thing,  then,  if  you  would  rejoice  in  the  great 
one — which  is  our  salvation.  "  Only  believe,"  and  the 
Lord  will  work  with  you  to  do  all  the  rest. 

But  just  because  you  believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus, 
you  must  show  it  by  a  loving,  kindly,  helpful  spirit 
to  others.  Jesus  went  through  the  world  doing  good, 
and  if  we  are  His  we  must  be  followers  in  His  foot- 
steps. Don't  wait,  then,  until  you  can  do  some  great 
thing;  rather  try  at  once — to-day,  to  find  some  good 
to  do — whether  other  people  call  it  great  or  little. 
Whatever  is  done  for  the  love  of  Jesus  is  a  great 
thing  greatly  done  in  His  eyes. 


XLII 
BUILDING 

"  Stone  made  ready  before  it  was  brought  thither." 

— I  Kings  vi.  7. 

No  builders  like  children !  While  men  build  huts 
and  houses,  you  build  castles,  and  while  they  must 
fix  them  on  the  ground,  you  can  rear  yours  in  the 
air !  Men  make  noise  and  clatter  enough  when  they 
are  putting  up  the  scaffolding,  and  are  adding  brick 
to  brick  and  stone  to  stone,  but  you? — why,  you 
simply  shut  your  eyes,  and  the  palace  is  finished, 
and  every  room  is  furnished  with  the  sunbeams,  too ! 
Yet  there  has  been  no  more  noise  about  it  than 
about  the  creeping  of  a  shadow ! 

Since  you  are  such  good  builders,  then,  I  should 
almost  apologise  for  venturing  to  speak  on  what 
you  know  so  well.  But  I  won't  touch  on  what  you 
are  building,  or  mean  to  build ;  I  only  want  to  say  a 
word  on  what  is  to  be  built  with  you — with  you 
yourself — as  if  you  were  a  beautiful  stone,  and  not  a 
beautiful  boy  or  girl — as,  of  course,  you  all  are ! 

Let  me  tell  you  something,  then,  about  the  great 

Temple  at  Jerusalem.     It  was  built,  as  your  castles  in 

180 


BUILDING  i8i 


the  air  are  built,  without  the  least  noise,  though  not 
quite  so  quickly  as  yours  are.  Everything  was  polished, 
and  chiselled,  and  made  ready  before  it  was  brought 
to  the  place  where  it  was  to  be  silently  fitted ;  and  so 
the  Temple  arose,  quietly,  beautifully  as  in  a  dream. 

Something  like  this  God  is  building  now,  and  they 
are  men  and  women,  and  boys  and  girls,  He  is  building 
with.  It  isn't  exactly  a  temple,  or  cathedral,  such  as 
those  we  have  seen,  yet  it  is  something  like  in  the  way 
every  person  is  put  in  the  place  that  is  best  and  most 
rightly  fitted  for  him.  But  it  is  more  like  a  great 
army,  or  a  great  place  of  business,  where  everybody 
finds  his  proper  position  according  to  what  he  really 
is  and  really  can  do,  and  not  according  to  what  he 
thinks  he  is,  or  thinks  he  can  do.  This  is  why  we 
are  all  like  stones  which  God  is  trying  to  shape  and 
make  ready  now  for  the  place  He  wants  to  put  us  in 
by-and-by. 

The  stones  were  cut,  and  chiselled,  and  polished  in 
the  quarry,  far  away  from  the  Temple.  It  was  very 
dark  down  there,  and  the  stones  must  have  found  it 
very  hard  to  understand  why  they  were  treated  as 
they  were.  At  first  they  were  resting  comfortably 
and  undisturbed.  Then  the  architect  came  along, 
looked  thoughtfully  round  him,  put  a  mark  on  a 
stone,  said  something  to  the  workmen,  and  at  once 
these  set  to  work  with  their  great  hammers  and 
crowbars,  and  never  stopped  till  the  block  was  lying 
on    the    ground,   jagged,   and    rough,    and    shapeless. 


I82 


THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 


After  that  other  workmen  chipped  away  at  it  till 
they  had  made  it  ever  so  much  smaller  and  ever  so 
much  smoother;  then  other  workmen  rubbed  and 
rubbed  it  with  chips  which  had  been  broken  from 
itself — always  with  chips  broken  from  itself — till  it 
was  perfectly  smooth  and  polished.  Nor  were  the 
stones  all  of  one  shape,  or  after  the  same  pattern. 
Some  were  square  and  some  were  curved,  and  some 
were  big  and  some  were  little,  some  had  ornaments 
and  some  were  plain,  and  it  must  have  been  all  very 
puzzling  to  the  stones  why  this  was  so. 

But  by-and-by  all  was  made  clear.  When  they 
were  carried  away  from  the  quarry,  and  every  one 
was  fitted  into  its  proper  place  in  the  great  Temple — 
then,  when  one  stone  curved  a  window,  and  another 
supported  a  pillar,  and  another  stood  on  a  pinnacle, 
like  a  spear-point  flashing  in  the  sunlight — then  they 
understood  all  the  meaning  of  the  strange  treatment 
which  had  been  given  them. 

It  is  so  with  us  now,  and  we  shall  never  be  rightly 
happy  till  we  believe  it.  Every  day  God  is  trying  to 
make  us  and  shape  us  and  fit  us  for  something  good, 
but  what  it  is  to  be  we  shall  never  know  till  the  time 
has  come.  There  was  Joseph :  the  chiselling  was  a 
bit  hard  on  him  when  he  was  j)ut  in  the  pit  and  sold 
for  a  slave,  and  cast  into  prison,  with  false  stories 
told  about  him — but  how  it  all  fitted  him  at  last  to 
become  the  great,  patient,  wise  ruler  of  a  kingdom ! 
And   there   was  David ;    scaring  the  birds   from   the 


BUILDING  1 8^ 


wheat,  and  trudging  about  with  the  sheep — this  didn't 
seem  to  be  the  way  to  make  a  king  of  him,  but  it 
was.  You  see,  the  king  was  in  him,  and  this  was 
the  only  way  to  bring  him  to  show  it.  And  there 
was  Paul.  He  was  very  fond  of  reading  and  learning, 
and  wanted  to  be  a  great  scholar,  so  as  to  take  a  high 
place  among  men.  He  didn't  know  that  God  had  set 
His  mark  on  him,  and  was  making  him  wish  to  be 
learned  and  wise  because  He  meant  to  make  use  of 
his  learning  and  wisdom  by-and-by — as  He  did. 

In  the  same  way  God  has  set  His  mark  on  some 
of  you.  You  would  like  to  be  this  and  you  would 
like  to  be  that ;  you  want  to  do  this  and  you  want 
to  do  that — and  it  is  all  right,  if  the  thing  itself  is 
good.  But  one  day  God  will  put  something  in  your 
way  and  ask  you  to  do  it  for  Him,  and  you  will 
wonder,  and  ask  yourself,  "  Can  I  do  it  ? "  Then, 
as  you  look  back  on  all  you  have  learnt,  and  all  that 
you  have  done  already,  you  will  find  that  this  is  the 
very  thing  that  you  were  being  fitted  for  when  least 
you  meant  it !  Then  do  it,  do  it  bravely,  whatever 
it  is,  and  God,  Who  was  preparing  you  when  you 
didn't  know  it,  will  help  you  still — as  He  helped 
Joseph,  and  David,  and  Paul. 

Whatever  happens  to  you  day  by  day,  whatever 
tasks  are  given  you  to  learn,  whatever  duty  is  set 
you  to  do — whether  the  thing  be  big  or  little — think 
of  God  with  it  all,  and  take  it  all  as  a  part  of  His 
training.     This  will  help  you  to  do  well  whatever  you 


i84  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 


have  to  do,  and,  when  the  time  comes,  you  will  find 
it  was  all  needed  for  the  place  God  is  keeping  for 
you.  So  be  true  and  faithful  about  little  things ; 
remember  God  in  all — and  leave  the  rest  to  Him. 
He  will  bring  the  stone  from  the  quarry  and  fit  it  in 
its  place  of  honour. 


XLIII 
NOT  TOO  PARTICULAR 

"Where  no  oxen  are,  tie  crib  is  clean." — Peov.  xiv.  4. 

Be  particular.  Be  mry  particular.  If  the  train  starts 
at  9.43,  don't  tell  mother  that  it  goes  ahout  a  quarter 
to  ten.  She'll  miss  it,  sure  as  anything !  Be  particular. 
But  donH  he  too  'particular !  Some  people  are ;  they 
must  have  everything  just  so,  or  be  miserable.  That's 
nothing,  however,  to  the  misery  they  can  inflict  on 
other  folk  !  You  understand  this  very  well ;  there  is 
nothing  which  gives  you  the  fidgets  so  much  as  the 
ways  of  fidgety  people.  With  them  it  is  all,  "  Don't 
do  this!"  and,  "Don't  do  that!"  and,  "Wipe  your 
boots  ! "  or,  "  Do  sit  still !  "  or,  "  Don't  bang  the  door !  " 
They  are  very  particular,  even  on  holidays.  And 
don't  they  soak  the  spirit  out  of  you !  It  is  drizzle, 
drizzle,  drizzle  with  them  from  morning  to  night, 
even  when  the  sun  is  shining  and  there  isn't  a  cloud 
in  the  sky. 

There  is  a  curious  text  in  the  Book   of  Proverbs 

about  all  this.     You  will  find  it  in  the  fourth  verse  of 

185 


i86  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

the  fourteenth  chapter.  It  says :  "  Where  no  oxen 
are,  the  crib  is  clean."  Only  think  o£  a  cowherd  who 
is  crazy  to  have  everything  just  so  !  The  oxen  do  give 
him  a  deal  of  trouble ;  they  are  such  careless,  stupid 
things,  poor  creatures ;  they  luill  drop  their  food  out 
of  the  crib  and  litter  it  about,  and  they  will  scatter  the 
straw  in  all  directions ;  they  will  be  untidy.  Yet  he 
wants  to  keep  the  byre  like  a  new  pin !  But  he  will 
"  best "  them  yet,  the  foolish  creatures  ;  they  shall  have 
no  straw  to  lie  on — that  will  keep  the  place  neater. 
Moreover,  he  invents  a  new  kind  of  crib,  one  that 
makes  it  difficult  for  the  oxen  to  lift  their  food  and 
scatter  it  about  with  their  clumsy  muzzles.  Oh,  it  is 
very  clever — very !  He  will  cure  them,  too,  of  their 
habit  of  kicking  over  the  pail ;  they  shall  have  no 
water  to  drink  except  what  he  gives  them  himself  at 
proper  times.  There's  a  byre  for  you ! — there's  a 
cowshed ! — as  clean  as  a  granary  and  as  sweet  as 
nuts !  The  man  is  as  pleased  as  Punch,  and  expects 
to  get  the  first  prize  at  the  next  Cattle  Show. 

But  somehow  or  another  the  oxen  don't  thrive; 
they  get  thinner  and  thinner,  weaker  and  weaker, 
and  hang  their  heads  lower  and  lower,  as  if  they 
had  something  on  their  mind.  And  so  they  have ; 
they  are  always  wondering  why  they  are  so  empty 
elsewhere!  One  after  another  they  sicken  and  die, 
and  when  the  last  one  has  gone,  the  cowherd  washes 
up  the  shed,  and  scrubs  the  cribs,  and  clears  off  all 
the  litter,  and  feels  quite  happy,  for  now,  at  last,  he 


NOT  TOO  PARTICULAR  187 

can  have  everything  just  so!  Yes,  but  the  oxen  are 
all  gone ;  they  have  been  improved  out  of  the  world 
by  the  one  who  who  had  charge  of  them  being  too 
particular. 

Gain  you  wisdom  by  this.  Be  particular,  but  don't 
be  too  particular.  If  you  have  a  rough  stone  wall  to 
build,  do  not  waste  the  day  hunting  for  stones  which 
will  go  all  flush  with  one  another,  like  bricks.  Fit 
them  in  as  best  you  can,  with  plenty  of  good  mortar, 
but  make  allowance  for  one  that  sticks  out  a  bit,  and 
another  that  modestly  shrinks  in.  And  have  a  good 
deal  of  this  mortar  always  ready  when  you  come  to 
deal  with  people.  People  are  full  of  corners,  cranks, 
edges,  beauties,  and  flaws,  and  no  two  persons  are  exactly 
alike ;  you  will  only  waste  your  time  if  you  try  to 
make  them  all  like  yourself.  Of  course,  that  would  be 
best,  if  it  could  be  done ;  but  the  trouble  lies  here — 
everybody  wants  to  make  yoio  just  like  himself,  for  he 
thinks  nobody  could  better  that  way  of  doing  you  good. 
So  it  can't  be  done.  The  best  thing,  then,  is  to  use 
plenty  of  mortar.  Can't  you  guess  what  the  mortar 
is  ? — kindness,  charity,  sympathy,  love,  appreciation. 
Mix  these  together  and  have  them  always  ready,  and 
though  a  great  many  things  and  a  great  many  people 
to  the  very  last  won't  be  exactly  what  you  would  like 
them  to  be,  yet  you  will  keep  a  happy  heart  yourself, 
and  will  make  the  hearts  of  many  others  happy  too. 
This  is  better — is  it  not? — than  having  a  clean  crib 
because  the  oxen  have  all  been  starved,  or  having  your 


THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 


own  way  about  everything  because  you  have  killed  off 
all  your  friends  by  being  too  particular. 

There  was  a  king  once  who 'retired  from  the  business 
and  gave  himself  up  to  the  making  of  clocks.  He 
made  them  very  well,  too,  we  are  told — as  a  king 
should.  But  he  caught  the  "particular"  fever,  and 
never  quite  got  over  it.  His  craze  was  this — to  get  all 
the  clocks  to  tick  at  the  same  time — to  keep  step,  as 
it  were.  But  he  couldn't  manage  it,  king  though  he 
had  been,  and  it  nearly  "worritted"  him  into  his 
grave.  Now,  people  are  like  these  clocks ;  they  will 
do  their  duty  (the  best  of  them,  any  way)  and  come 
up  to  time,  but  you  must  let  every  one  have  his  own 
tick. 

How  many  mothers  there  are  who  used  to  nag,  and 
scold,  and  fret  continually  because  they  couldn't  get 
this  little  fellow  or  that  little  girlie  to  be  particular ! 
But  when  the  little  one  was  taken  from  them,  when 
the  crib  was  empty,  what  would  they  not  have  given 
to  see  the  toys  littered  about  again,  the  crumbs  on 
the  carpet,  and  the  marks  of  the  little  muddy  feet  on 
the  lobby !  Where  no  children  are  the  house  is  tidy, 
but  we  would  rather  have  the  children,  with  their  fun 
and  their  frolic,  though  it  does  try  the  patience  to 
put  things  to  rights  after  they've  gone  to  bed,  the 
monkeys ! 

So  be  particular,  but  don't  be  too  particular.  Never 
forget  that  where  there  is  life  there  will  always  be  some 
litter,  and  wherever  there  are  people  there  will  always 


NOT  TOO  PARTICULAR  189 

be  something  which  could  be  improved  to  the  very  last. 
So  be  big-hearted,  be  kindly,  be  charitable,  and  make 
allowances  for  other  people ;  as  for  yourself,  and  for 
all  you  have  to  do,  fix  this  in  your  mind : — 

That  man  is  blest 
Who  does  his  best, 
And  leaves  the  rest, 
And  doesnH  worry. 


XLIV 

THE  TEMPTER 

"  Again  there  was  a  day  when  the  sons  of  God  came  to  present 
themselves  before  the  Lord,  and  Satan  came  also  among  them,  to 
present  himself  before  the  Lord.  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Satan, 
From  whence  comest  thou?  And  Satan  answered  the  Lord,  and 
said,  From  going  to  and  fro  in  the  earth,  and  from  walking  up  and 
down  in  it." — Job.  ii.  i,  2. 

Here  is  a  strange  picture,  somewhat  odd  and  startling, 
but  one  which  you  have  all  seen  again  and  again, 
though  maybe  you  don't  recognise  it  at  the  first 
glance. 

Who  are  "the  sons  of  God"  ?  You  are  one — a  son 
or  a  daughter  of  God,  if  you  are  loving  the  Lord 
Jesus  and  have  given  your  heart  to  Him. 

But  what  about  "presenting  themselves  before  the 
Lord "  ?  Have  you  never  done  that  ?  You  have — 
many  and  many  a  time.  For,  whenever  you  come 
to  worship — to  pray  to  the  Lord  and  praise  Him — that 
is  presenting  yourself  before  Him,  just  as  the  great 
ones  of  the  land  present  themselves  before  the  Queen. 
The  Lord  is  always  present  whenever  two  or  three 
gather  together  in  His  name.      Whenever  we  meet 

for  worship  we  meet  with  the  Lord,  if  we  have  come 

190 


THE  TEMPTER  191 


with  the  right  heart,  for  the  right  purpose.  So,  you 
see,  this  is  nothing  new — God's  children  presenting 
themselves  before  Him. 

They  never  do  this  —  never  worship  and  praise 
God — but  there  is  somebody  with  them  they  would 
be  better  without.  It  is  Satan.  Yes,  children,  the 
devil  goes  to  church,  but  it  is  not  to  worship,  not 
to  pray ;  it  is  to  keep  you  from  worshipping  and 
praying  if  he  can.  I  have  never  seen  him,  but  I 
have  known  him  to  be  very  near.  When  my  eyes 
have  been  shut  and  I  have  been  trying  to  tell  God 
in  prayer  what  the  poor,  sad,  sinful  souls  of  men 
and  women  and  children  are  needing,  I  have  some- 
times hardly  been  able  to  do  it,  because  Satan  has 
been  near  me,  jingling  keys  in  his  pocket,  rattling 
his  watch-chain,  turning  over  the  leaves  of  his  hymn- 
book,  or  shuffling  with  his  feet.  He  wasn't  praying; 
he  took  care  to  let  me  know  that ;  and  he  made  me 
know  only  too  well  that  I  wasn't  praying  either,  as 
I  would  have  liked  to  pray.  And  sometimes,  when 
I  have  been  preaching,  I  have  seen  him  at  work, 
busy,  busy,  very  busy.  There  is  a  lad  at  my  left; 
he  has  sat  gaping  and  gazing  all  over  the  church, 
to  see  who  was  there  whom  he  knew ;  and  there  is  a 
lady  on  my  right  who  has  not  been  able  to  listen 
to  a  word  of  the  sermon  through  thinking  of  the 
new  dress  somebody  before  her  has  got.  There  are 
two  foolish  boys  at  the  back  who  whisper  and  grin 
through  all  the  service;    and  there  is  a  man  at  the 


192  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

front  who  keeps  buying  and  selling  many  things  in 
his  mind,  even  when  he  looks  most  devout.  And 
there  is  a  man  in  the  pulpit  who  thinks  sometimes 
that  this  is  clever  or  that  is  neat,  when  he  should 
rather  be  asking,  Is  it  true  ?  is  it  kind  ?  is  it  right  ? 
is  it  what  God  would  wish  him  to  say,  or  is  it  only 
what  will  please  the  people  ?  Ah,  yes,  children !  we 
never  meet  to  worship  but  Satan  presents  himself 
too.  Sometimes  he  comes  late,  and  knocks  the  books 
from  the  pew-board  as  he  gets  to  his  seat.  I  have 
even  known  him  disturb  a  person  in  prayer  rather 
than  reverently  wait  a  minute.  But  there  is  no 
reverence  in  him.  When  the  Lord  asks,  "Whence 
comest  thou  ? "  his  answer  is  simple  impudence  — 
"From  going  to  and  fro  in  the  earth,  and  from 
walking  up  and  down  in  it."  That  wasn't  an  answer ; 
that  didn't  tell  where  he  had  been ;  it  never  mentioned 
a  place  or  gave  an  address  ;  it  was  simply  impertinence. 
He  might  just  as  well  have  said  that  he  came  from 
"the  Back  of  Beyond." 

There  is  no  place  in  all  the  world  where  we  can 
get  rid  of  Satan.  He  goes  to  church,  he  stands  beside 
us  when  we  kneel  and  pray,  and  tries  to  draw  our 
thoughts  away  from  the  Lord ;  there  is  never  a  time 
and  never  a  spot  but  he  is  near  us.  Yet  we  can't 
see  him,  and  we  often  forget  that  he  is  near.  How 
can  we  keep  him,  then,  from  doing  us  harm  ?  There 
is  only  one  way :  by  letting  Jesus  have  the  keeping 
of  our  hearts.      Nobody  else  can  protect  ns.      Satan 


THE  TEMPTER 


193 


wanted  to  get  Peter,  and  nearly  got  him,  too ;  but 
Jesus  prayed  for  the  tempted  man,  and  that  saved 
him.  Give  your  heart  to  Jesus,  then;  love  Him,  trust 
Him,  and  live  for  the  things  he  loves,  and  Satan  will 
never  harm  you  ;  you  will  be  kept  by  the  power  of 
Jesus  for  salvation.  May  He  deliver  us  all  from  the 
Evil  One ! 


XLV 

NEAT   KNOTS 

"  Sius  that  are  past." — EOM.  iii.  25. 

I  WAS  taken  over  a  great  weaving  factory  once,  where 
there  were  hundreds  of  steam-looms,  which  seemed  to 
know  all  they  were  about,  and  went  on  doing  their 
work  with  hardly  any  attention  given  them.  One 
person  would  have  three  or  four  of  these  machines 
under  his  care,  so  easy  were  they  to  manage.  But 
while  I  was  looking  and  admiring,  one  of  the  machines 
stopped  suddenly,  and  the  man  who  had  charge  of  it 
gave  a  quick  glance  at  the  thousands  of  threads,  and 
took  one  of  them  up.  It  had  broken — and  it  was  its 
breaking  that  had  made  all  stop,  for  these  machines  are 
made  so  finely  that  if  a  single  thread  snaps  it  will  stop 
everything,  and  so  give  warning  to  the  workman  of 
the  mishap.  He  drew  out  the  bobbin  a  little  farther, 
tied  the  thread  in  a  particular  way  and  place,  and  the 
machine  was  set  going  as  before. 

Then  I  learnt  something.  If  the  machine  had  been 
allowed  to  go  on  with  that  thread  broken,  the  whole 
web — the  piece  that  was   being  woven — would  have 


NEAT  KNOTS  195 


been  spoiled;  for  not  only  would  the  blank  bit  have 
been  noticed,  but  it  would  have  weakened  all  the  rest, 
and  would  have  grown  wider  and  wider  the  more  the 
piece  was  used. 

It  is  the  same  with  the  "  sins  that  are  past." 
They  may  be  past — be  behind  us  in  time — may  have 
been  done  weeks  or  months  or  years  ago — but  if  they 
have  not  been  mended  and  put  right,  they  have  been 
all  that  time  doing  harm  to  us.  Our  hearts  have  been 
made  harder,  the  love  and  the  trust  of  Jesus  has  gone 
away  more  and  more  from  us,  we  don't  see  what  is 
good  as  we  once  saw  it,  and  we  don't  care  to  be  good 
as  we  once  did. 

.  We  need  Jesus  to  put  right  what  has  gone  wrong. 
He  can  do  it.  When  we  are  really  sorry  for  our  sins, 
and  pray  to  Him,  and  want  to  have  wrong  things  put 
right.  He  can  do  it ;  He  can  pardon  what  we  have  done, 
but  He  can  do  something  more — He  can  make  it  turn 
out  for  good. 

A  good  workman,  with  one  of  the  machines  of  which 
I  have  been  speaking,  is  not  satisfied  with  tying  again 
the  thread  that  has  become  broken.  He  studies  how 
to  tie  it  so  that  it  shall  not  only  hold  firm,  but  that  it 
shall  also  be  for  beauty,  rather  than  for  blemish.  If 
there  is  any  raised  ornament  in  the  pattern,  he  ties  the 
knot  so  that  it  shall  fit  in  there  ;  then  it  not  only  is  no 
longer  seen  as  a  bit  that  is  broken,  but  it  even  helps 
that  part  of  the  pattern. 

Jesus  is  wonderfuUv  skilful  with  the  "  sins  that  are 


196  .THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

past."  He  can  not  only  put  right  what  has  gone 
wrong,  but  He  can  make  it  turn  out  for  good.  There 
was  a  man  I  knew  who,  in  a  fit  of  bad  temper,  cut  his 
hand  very  deep.  He  was  ashamed  of  his  temper,  went 
and  prayed  to  Jesus,  and  never  since  has  he  been  so 
foolish ;  he  says  that  as  soon  as  he  sees  the  scar  on  his 
hand  he  remembers  his  prayer,  and  that  keeps  him  from 
being  so  angry  again.  He  is  now  one  of  the  most 
patient  men  I  know  ;  Jesus  not  only  tied  up  the  broken 
thread,  as  it  were,  but  He  tied  it  so  as  to  make  it  be  for 
beauty,  rather  than  for  ugliness. 

That  is  how  He  would  use  all  our  sins  that  are  past. 
We  can't  reach  back  to  them,  but  He  can ;  and  He  can 
not  only  put  them  right,  but  He  can  also  make  them 
turn  to  our  good. 

Then  bring  them  all  to  Him.  Stop — as  the  machine 
stops — when  you  have  done  anything  that  is  wrong, 
and  at  once  pray  to  Jesus  to  have  it  put  right.  Don't 
let  it  go  on ;  that  is  only  to  make  trouble  for  yourself 
and  others  in  the  future,  for  every  sin  that  is  not  put 
right  frays  away,  and  frays  away,  and  spoils  us  in  the 
end.  Go  to  Jesus  at  once  when  you  have  done  any- 
thing wrong ;  He,  and  He  only,  can  make  it  really  past 
— clean  gone  for  ever  in  its  power  to  harm  ourselves  or 
other  people. 


^Si^ 


XLVI 

THE  SCENT  OF  LIFE 

"  In  the  Spirit." — Rev.  i.  lo. 

Peehaps  you  won't  just  catch  at  the  first  what  this 
means — "In  the  Spirit."  But  you  know  what  it  is 
to  be  in  different  kinds  of  snoods.  Sometimes  you 
are  in  a  good  mood,  sometimes  in  a  bad  one :  some- 
times you  are  in  a  bright  mood,  sometimes  in  a  dumpish 
one.  At  one  time  you  feel  strong  and  well  and  full 
of  energy,  and  then  you  say,  '•  I  am  in  a  mood  to  work 
to-day ; "  but  at  another  time  you  feel  weak  and  dull 
and  stupid,  and  you  say,  "I  am  not  in  a  working 
mood."  At  times  you  will  sing  like  a  lark,  and  listen 
so  eagerly  while  others  are  singing ;  but  there  are 
times  again  when  you  won't  sing  yourself,  and  when 
it  only  makes  you  sad  to  hear  others  singing  ;  you 
are  in  no  mood  for  songfulness  just  then. 

Now,  what  is  a  mood  ?  It  is  the  scent  of  the  Spirit, 
How  can  you  tell  one  flower  from  another  in  the 
dark?  Isn't  it  by  the  scent?  You  sniff  and  sniff, 
and   say,    "This  is  a  violet,  that  is  mignonette,  that 

is  lavender,   and   that  is  —  pugh  !    wild  onion  —  how 

197 


igS  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

nasty !  "  You  don't  need  to  see  the  flowers,  you  don't 
need  to  touch  them ;  the  scent  is  quite  sufficient  to 
tell  you  what  kind  they  are. 

It  is  the  same  with  moods :  they  always  tell  what 
kind  of  a  spirit  is  in  you — a  good  spirit  or  a  bad  one, 
a  sad  spirit  or  a  glad  one,  a  kind  or  an  unkind  one,  for 
moods  are  the  scent  of  the  spirit. 

One  day  Jesus  stood  watching  some  children  play- 
ing in  the  market-place.  They  were  a  merry  little 
company,  and  got  on  very  well  for  a  while,  till  some 
of  them  began  to  push  the  others  roughly,  or  say 
unkind  things,  and  that  made  these  become  cross  and 
sulky;  but  the  ones  who  pushed  were  quite  bright. 
The  people  who  push  are  always  bright,  and  quite 
ready  to  push  again  ;  but  the  people  who  are  pushed 
are  apt  to  feel  things  a  little  differently,  and  so  the 
little  merry  company  came  to  be  divided  into  two — 
those  who  were  in  a  bright  mood  and  those  who  were 
in  a  sulky  one.  And  the  bright  ones  said,  "  Come, 
let  us  have  a  dance,"  and  they  whistled  and  piped, 
and  made  believe  they  were  a  royal  band.  But  the 
others  would  not  dance  ;  never  a  shuffle  would  they 
make  with  their  feet.  They  were  in  a  sulky  mood — 
and  people  cannot  dance  when  they  are  sulky,  for  if 
they  did  they  would  lose  their  sulkiness !  Then  the 
others  said,  "Well,  if  you  won't  play  at  dancing,  let 
us  play  at  mourning — let  us  have  funerals."  But  the 
others  would  not  play  at  that  either.  That .  showed 
as  clear  as  noonday  what  kind  of  a  spirit  was  in  them 


THE  SCENT  OF  LIFE  199 

— it  was  a  sore,  sad,  vexed,  and  injured  spirit.  And 
as  Jesus  looked  upon  them  He  said  there  were  people 
like  them ;  their  spirit  was  all  wrong,  for  the  mood 
they  were  in  showed  the  spirit  that  was  in  them. 

It  always  does.  If  we  are  in  a  bad  mood,  it  is  be- 
cause we  have  a  bad  spirit  in  us ;  if  we  are  in  a  good 
mood,  it  is  because  we  have  a  good  spirit.  So  you 
see,  if  we  are  ever  to  have  right  moods,  right  fancies, 
or  right  thoughts,  we  must  begin  by  being  "in  the 
spirit "  of  all  that  is  right  and  good. 

Now,  I  think,  you  will  be  better  able  to  understand 
what  it  is  to  be  "  in  the  spirit "  of  anything.  It  means 
to  be  in  thorough  sympathy  with  it.  Suppose  you 
are  vexed  and  cross  and  angry,  and  then  sit  down  to 
write  a  nice,  kind  letter  to  a  little  friend  who  is  far 
away,  and  lonely  and  down-hearted,  could  you  do  it  ? 
No,  you  could  not  —  not  then.  If  you  wrote  while 
that  angry  spirit  was  in  you  your  letter  would  not  be  a 
comforting  one ;  it  would  be  cold  and  harsh  and  hard. 
Or  again,  when  you  are  loving  and  kind  and  good,  could 
you  sit  down  and  write  an  angry  and  spiteful  letter  ? 
No,  you  couldn't :  the  sharp  words  wouldn't  come ; 
there  would  still  bo  honey  rather  than  vinegar  in  the 
ink.  And  it  is  the  same  about  everything  ;  everything 
we  do,  and  everything  we  think  and  say,  depends  on 
whether  we  are  "  in  the  spirit "  of  it  or  not. 

John  was  "in  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  on  the  Lord's 
day,"  and  oh!  what  a  blessed,  blessed  day  that  was 
for  him !     He  saw   right  away  into  heaven,   and  he 


200  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

heard  sweet  voices  speaking  to  him  from  the  skies. 
But  if  he  hadn't  been  in  the  spirit  of  the  day  he 
would  not  have  seen  or  heard  anything  of  all  that. 
When  you  come  to  church,  flushed,  and  hot,  and  late — 
oh  !  it  is  hard,  hard,  to  get  a  good  thought  planted  in 
your  heart,  just  because  you  are  not  in  the  spirit  of 
the  Lord's  Day.  But  when  you  come  from  prayer, 
and  come  quietly  and  prayerfully,  thinking  of  Jesus, 
then  good  thought  upon  good  thought  steals  into  the 
heart,  and  you  are  stronger  and  brighter  and  braver 
all  the  week.  Children,  children,  there  is  no  blessing 
for  anybody  in  all  the  world  till  he  comes  himself  to 
be  "in  the  spirit "  of  the  blessing. 

What,  then,  are  we  to  do  when  we  are  not  in  the 
right  spirit  ?  Just  this :  change  the  gearing.  There 
are  bicycles  that  have  two  ways  of  going  —  a  hard 
way  and  an  easy  one.  The  hard  way  is  the  swift 
way,  and  that  does  finely  on  a  level  road,  but  it  is 
very  difficult  to  go  up  a  stiff  hill  with  it.  Then  they 
change  the  gearing,  as  they  call  it ;  they  press  a  little 
handle,  and  that  takes  the  stiffness  out  of  the  wheels, 
so  that  they  can  go  up  the  hill  quite  easily.  You  must 
learn  to  change  the  gearing.  You  may  be  in  a  very 
good  and  pleasant  spirit  so  long  as  there  is  nothing 
to  vex  you  or  try  your  temper,  or  make  you  sad,  but 
when  any  of  these  things  come  in  your  way,  then  how 
hard  you  find  it  to  keep  in  a  good  spirit !  That  is  the 
time  to  change  the  gearing,  the  time  to  pray,  and 
pray,  and  pray — oh,  how  earnestly ! — for  the  Lord  to 


THE  SCENT  OF  LIFE  201 

help  you,  for  the  Lord  to  remember  you  and  keep 
you,  and  put  His — His  very  own — Spirit  in  you.  Do 
that,  and  though  the  Hill  Difficulty  may  be  hard  to 
climb,  you  will  climb  it,  and  be  in  the  right  spirit  all 
the  way.  So,  whenever  the  mood  you  are  in  shows 
that  you  are  in  a  naughty  spirit,  lift  your  heart  up  to 
Jesus.  Directly  you  speak  to  Him  or  come  close  to 
Him  the  naughty  spirit  will  depart  from  you.  Love 
Him,  and  love  Him  again,  and  love  Him  more  still, 
for  we  always  come  quickest  into  the  spirit  of  any  one 
when  we  love. 


XLVII 
OPEN  SECRETS 

"Dark  sayings."— Ps.  Ixxviii.  2. 

This  is  a  curious  expression.  Did  you  ever  see  "a 
saying "  ?  I  never  did.  I  have  heard  a  good  many 
sayings  in  my  time,  but  I  never  saw  one.  Perhaps 
it  was  there  all  the  time  and  I  could  not  see  it  because 
I  was  searching  for  it  like  the  nigger  boy  looking  for 
a  black  cat  in  a  dark  cellar  without  a  light !  But,  after 
all,  I  don't  think  that  could  be  the  reason.  You  cannot 
see  a  "  say  "  as  you  can  see  a  saw ;  we  must  seek  for 
the  meaning  in  another  direction. 

There  is  a  statue  of  Shakespeare  set  up  in  Leicester 
Square,  and  this  quotation  is  carved  upon  it:  "There 
is  no  darkness  but  ignorance."  That  is  true.  God  is 
perfectly  wise,  and  therefore  there  is  nothing  hidden 
from  Him ;  He  is  perfectly  wise,  and  so  understands 
all  things.  A  "  dark  saying,"  then,  just  means  some- 
thing we  cannot  make  out.  But  the  fault  may  not  be 
in  the  saying — the  fault  may  be  in  us ;  we  haven't 
brought  the  light  with  us. 


OPEN  SECRETS  203 


There  is  a  name  we  have  for  these  dark  sayings ; 
we  call  them  riddles.  How  dark  a  riddle  is  at  first ! 
You  can't  see  through  it.  But  when  you  do  discover 
it  at  last,  what  do  you  say  ?  Isn't  it  this  ? — "  Ah  !  I  see 
it  now !  "  And  then  how  foolish  you  feel — foolish  to 
think  you  had  been  so  long  in  seeing  what,  after 
all,  was  so  plain !  The  riddle  was  a  riddle  till  you 
brought  the  key ;  but  the  key  had  been  in  your  own 
head  all  the  time  if  you  could  only  have  got  at  it 
quicker. 

But  there  is  another  name  we  sometimes  give  to 
these  dark  sayings.  We  call  them  secrets.  Do  you 
know  the  difference  between  a  riddle  and  a  secret? 
It  is  the  difference  between  finding  and  exploring. 
When  you  discover  a  riddle  you  discover  it  all  at 
once — there  is  a  flash,  as  it  were,  an  idea,  and  you 
have  got  it.  But  it  is  different  with  a  secret.  You 
have  to  dig  for  that  as  men  dig  for  gold  and  silver, 
and  when  you  have  got  it,  it  doesn't  look  like  gold 
or  silver,  but  like  copper  or  iron ;  you  have  to  learn 
how  to  melt  it  and  get  it  out.  Or  you  have  to  master 
it  as  men  master  the  Greek  and  the  Hebrew — by 
learning  a  little  bit,  and  a  little  bit  more,  every  day ; 
understanding  a  little  bit,  and  a  little  bit  more,  every 
day.  The  work  has  to  go  on  inside  yourself  before 
you  can  come  to  read  quite  plainly  what  had  been 
such  a  strange,  mysterious  secret  to  you  before.  And 
then,  most  likely,  after  years  and  j-ears  of  hard  study 


204  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

you  laugh  quietly  to  yourself,  and  say,  "  Where  is  the 
secret  ?  There  is  none !  It  is  all  plain  and  open  to 
me ;  I  wonder  how  I  ever  could  have  thought  there 
was  any  mystery  about  it."  Yes,  it  was  your  ignorance 
that  made  the  darkness ;  the  darkness  was  in  you  and 
not  in  the  sayings. 

It  is  the  same  with  everything.  God  has  to  teach 
us.  It  is  dark  or  quite  plain  just  as  we  bring  or  do 
not  bring  the  right  light  to  it.  He  has  not  hidden 
anything  from  us ;  things  are  hidden  from  us  just 
as  the  Hebrew  or  Greek  may  be  hidden  from  us.  We 
may  see  the  letters  but  yet  not  understand  their 
meaning,  because  we  haven't  tried  to  train  ourselves 
for  it. 

Do  you  remember  how,  when  David  was  in  danger, 
his  friend  Jonathan  gave  him  a  warning?  Jonathan 
was  watched,  and  therefore  could  not  go  and  speak  to 
David,  but  he  had  agreed  about  a  signal  to  give  him. 
So  Jonathan  went  out  into  the  field  and  began  to  shoot 
arrows.  If  you  had  seen  him  then  you  would  simply 
have  thought  he  was  amusing  bimself.  But  David 
from  his  hiding-place  was  watching,  and  by  the  way 
the  arrows  went  he  learnt  that  Saul  was  seeking  for 
his  life.  He  was  in  the  secret,  and  Jonathan  was 
in  the  secret,  but  to  everybody  else  it  was  only  an 
idle  game.  Yet  there  was  such  a  deep  meaning  in 
it  all. 

And  that  is  how  it  is  with  all  that  is  around  us. 


OPEN  SECRETS  205 


God  has  a  meaning  in  everything.  He  is  trying  to 
signal  to  us  through  everything;  but  we  can  get  at 
Ilis  meaning  only  as  we  have  been  let  into  His  secret. 
It  is  a  secret,  and  yet  it  is  not  a  secret ;  it  is  quite 
plain,  and  yet  there  is  only  one  who  can  understand  it. 
Who  is  that  ?  It  is  the  boy  or  the  girl,  the  man  or  the 
woman,  who  fears  God.  "The  secret  of  the  Lord  is 
with  them  that  fear  Him."  To  fear  Him  doesn't 
mean  to  be  afraid  of  Him.  It  is  quite  the  other  way ; 
it  means  to  love  Him,  to  trust  Him,  to  keep  on  thinking 
about  Him,  to  lift  the  heart  to  Him  in  everything — to 
remember  God  in  all  our  ways.  As  we  do  that  we  are 
learning  God  as  we  would  learn  a  language.  The 
Bible,  the  world,  our  own  hearts,  Jesus,  everything 
becomes  clearer  and  simpler,  and  easier  to  understand ; 
the  darkness  goes  as  we  bring  more  light,  but  the 
light  must  come  from  our  own  hearts.  It  is  the  fear 
of  the  Lord  that  is  the  beginning  of  wisdom — a  wisdom 
that  is  more  than  knowledge  and  better  than  know- 
ledge— the  wisdom  that  cometh  down  from  above. 

Children,  keep  your  hearts  always  towards  God. 
Be  reverent  in  everything  about  Him ;  be  humble, 
willing  to  learn ;  above  all,  be  trustful.  The  teacher 
cannot  teach  anything  unless  the  child  believes  what 
he  says,  and  God  cannot  teach  us  or  "  enlighten  "  us 
unless  we  do  the  same. 

How  do  you  see  the  sun?  It  is  because  the  sun 
is  shining;  the  sun  gives  the  light  by  which  you  see 


2o6 


THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 


the  light.  And  just  so  it  is  only  God  who  can  show  us 
God.  Then  begin  with  Him,  continue  with  Him,  end 
with  Him  about  everything,  and  His  darkest  sayings 
will  become  very,  very  bright,  and  their  brightness 
will  make  up  the  eternal  daytime  of  your  soul. 


XLYIII 
HOW  TO  BEGIN  THE  DAYi 

"It  is  a  good  thing  to  give  thanks  unto  the  Lord,  and  to  sing 
praises  unto  Thy  name,  O  most  High:  to  show  forth  Thy  loving- 
kindness  in  the  morning,  and  Thy  faithfulness  every  night." — 
Ps.  xcii.  I,  2. 

Yes,  it  is  a  good  thing ;  you  may  not  be  able  to  know 
at  the  time  why,  yet  it  is  a  good  thing — good  for  you, 
and  good  for  everybody  round  you — to  begin  and  end 
the  day  with  God. 

It  is  good  in  the  morning — for  it  gives  us  the  right 
keynote  for  the  day. 

You  are  singers — very  nice  singers,  too,  some  of 
you — and  you  know  something  about  music.  Do  you 
know  what  flattening  means  ?  It  is  like  this :  some- 
times, when  people  are  singing,  they  forget  what  the 
right  sound  should  be,  and  all  their  notes  get  lower 
and  lower,  for  the  one  has  to  push  the  other  down 
so  as  to  make  it  keep  its  proper  distance ;  and  the 
worst  of  it  is,  the  singer  has  no  idea  of  how  far  he 
has  gone  wrong,  till  he  hears  the  keynote  struck :  then 
he  knows ! 

That  is  just  the  way  with  people  who  try  to  get  on 
without  God  ;  without  thinking  of  Him  in  the  morning. 


2o8  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

without  praying  to  Him,  or  reading  a  bit  of  His  Word. 
The  music  of  tJieir  Hfe  keeps  going  down  and  down — 
it  flattens;  and  the  worst  of  it  is,  they  don't  know  it. 
Others  observe  it ;  people  round  them  can  tell  it,  but 
they  can't  themselves,  for  they  don't  listen  for  the 
keynote.  Be  you  wiser;  make  sure  of  this — that  it 
is  a  good  thing  to  begin  with  God  in  the  morning. 
That  will  help  you  to  keep  your  heart  high  and  right 
all  through  the  day. 

And  it  is  a  good  thing  to  end  the  day  with  God. 
You  are  going  to  forget  Him,  and  forget  everybody 
for  a  little,  while  you  sleep.  But  He  is  not  going  to 
forget  you  ;  it  would  be  a  bad,  bad  thing  for  you  if  He 
did.  He  is  going  to  watch  over  you  in  the  night,  just 
as  He  did  through  the  day.  Think  of  that !  God 
standing  like  a  faithful  sentinel  to  protect  you  when 
you  cannot  protect  yourself !  Will  you  go  to  sleep 
without  thanking  Him  ?  without  thinking  of  Him  ? 
without  one  loving  word  for  Him?  That's  not  good, 
not  kind ;  and  nobody  can  grow  up  right,  or  strong, 
or  wise,  or  loving  who  does  that. 

So  end  the  day  as  you  begin  it,  by  having  a  little 
time  alone  with  God,  and  though  you  may  not  be  able 
now  to  know  why,  by-and-by,  when  you  grow  up,  when 
you  know  things  better  and  see  them  clearer,  you  too 
will  say — and  say  it,  oh  !  with  such  a  glad  and  grateful 
heart — "It  was  good  for  me  to  begin  and  end  all  my 
days  with  God  !  " 


XLIX 

DON'T  GROW  OLD 

Never  grow  old.     It's  a  bad  habit,  and  shouldn't  be 

yielded  to.     But  it's  worse  to  grow  sour  or  crabbed  or 

conceited.     Let  me  tell  you  something  about  all  this. 

I  once  lay  down  one  beautiful  summer  day  on  the 

mossy  carpet  of  a  little  copse-wood,  and  by-and-by — 

whether  I  was  asleep  or  whether  I  was  awake  doesn't 

matter — I  heard  two  trees  beside  me  begin  to  talk. 

The  one  was  a  tall  and  stately  oak,  which  had  borne 

the  buffets  of  the  storms  for  more  than  a  hundred  years, 

and  the  other  was  a  little  oak  sapling,  which  had  seen 

only  about  half-a-dozen  summers.     Of  course  it  must 

have  seen  as  many  winters  too,  but  it  made  no  account 

of  these ;  the  summers  were  all  that  it  remembered  or 

cared  about,  and  just  now  its  bright  yellow  leaves  were 

toying  and  frolicking  with  the   sunshine — which  left 

some  of  the  gold  from  its  own  beams  on  every  leaf  it 

kissed.     Very  soon,  however,  the  sunshine  disappeared, 

and  when  the  sapling  looked  up  and  saw  the  reason  it 

suddenly  became  very  quiet  and  still,  and  I  think  it 

was  also  a  little  timid,  for  the  old  oak  was  bending  a 

209  0 


2IO  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

great  branch  over  it  in  a  most  reproving  way,  and  was 
looking  very  severe. 

"  When  are  you  going  to  learn  a  little  sense  ?  "  asked 
the  old  oak,  in  a  gruff  and  very  timbery  voice.  "  Here 
you  are  doing  nothing  but  playing  with  the  sunbeams 
and  hooraying  with  your  leaves  after  every  breeze  :  isn't 
it  time  you  were  putting  away  all  that  foolishness  and 
learning  something  of  what  the  life  of  an  oak  should 
be  ?  Why  can't  you  be  sedate,  as  I  am  ?  Your  leaves 
are  given  you  for  something  else  than  flicking  the  sun- 
shine ;  /  am  always  feeling  with  mine  for  the  coming 
storm,  so  that  I  may  give  warning  to  the  flowers  to 
close  their  petals,  and  to  the  birds  to  seek  for  shelter, 
but  yoic  never  think  of  that ;  yoic  can't  tell  a  storm  yet 
when  it  is  only  three  minutes  away  from  you.  Besides, 
you  are  putting  too  much  sunshine  on  your  leaves  ;  they 
look  too  gaudy ;  it  is  time  you  were  learning  to  lay  up 
some  sunshine  inside  your  bark  to  keep  you  warm  in 
the  winter,  instead  of  spending  it  all  in  vain  show. 
You  are  too  dressy — far  too  dressy ;  why  can't  you  be 
sober  and  sombre  like  me?  Believe  me,  my  young 
friend,  life  is  a  very  serious  thing  for  a  thoughtful 
tree ; "  and  the  old  oak  raised  its  branch  again  in  a 
dignified  fashion,  as  much  as  to  say,  "  Open  rebuke  is 
better  than  secret  flattery." 

How  frightened  the  little  sajDling  was !  It  actually 
stood  rooted  to  the  ground  with  fear !  But  it  wasn't 
for  long ;  the  sunbeams  came  back  when  the  shadow 
of  the  biof  branch  was  removed,  and  almost  before  it 


DON'T  GROW  OLD 


knew  what  it  was  doing  it  was  laughing  and  toying 
and  frisking  with  them  just  as  before,  which  only- 
made  the  old  oak  stiffen  its  dignity  more  than  ever. 

Presently  some  laughing,  shouting,  ruddy -faced 
children  came  tumbling  into  the  wood,  and  with  a 
cry  of  delight  made  for  the  sapling.  "  Look !  look ! 
— leaves  of  gold !  Let's  take  some  home  to  Willie," 
said  the  eldest ;  "  he  always  says  he  forgets  he's 
sick  when  he  has  got  flowers  and  leaves  and  things 
to  make  up ; "  and  in  a  perfect  ecstasy  they  plucked 
the  spoils  from  the  sapling,  and  proud,  glad,  and 
happy  was  the  little  tree  that  it  had  something  to  give 
to  cheer  the  lonely  hours  of  a  sick  and  weary  child. 
And  the  old  oak  suddenly  flurried  its  branches  as  if 
it  had  just  found  out  a  big  mistake  it  had  made,  but 
didn't  like  to  say  so. 

You  see — and  this  is  the  point  of  the  story — the 
old  oak  was  a  sapling  once  itself;  indeed  it  was, 
though  you  wouldn't  think  so  to  see  it  now ;  and 
then  it  had  ever  so  much  fun  and  frolic  inside  its  ribs, 
and  was  a  good  bit  dressy,  too — dressy  with  sunshine. 
But  it  had  forgotten  all  that;  it  had  got  into  the 
bad  habit  of  growing  old.  Take  a  warning  by  it. 
Never  grow  old;  you  have  no  occasion  to.  It  isn't 
the  number  of  years  we  live  that  makes  us  old.  The 
youngest  people  I've  ever  known  were  over  seventy ! 
Yes ;  yet  they  were  still  young,  very  young,  fond  of 
children,  fond  of  kittens  and  little  puppies  (four- 
footed  ones,  of  course),  and  young  plants,  and  every- 


212 


THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 


thing  else  that  was  just  starting  in  the  business  of 
living.  These  dear  folks  never  grew  old ;  they  had 
fortunately  lost  the  recipe,  and  so  they  couldn't  find 
out  how  to  become  crabbed  or  sour  or  stuck-up. 
Learn  to  be  like  them,  and  begin  now.  Because  you 
are  twelve,  and  can  read  and  write,  don't  turn  up  your 
dear  little  nose  at  the  queer  sprawling  and  spelling  of 
the  seven-year-older.  You  once  made  as  many  blots 
yourself,  and  were  just  as  much  puzzled  about  Con- 
stan-ti-no-ple.  And  when  you  grow  older — out  of 
knickers  or  short  frocks,  and  into  tall  hats  or 
wonderful  bonnets — don't  get  out  of  sympathy,  out 
of  love  or  interest  for  the  little  ones ;  don't  pretend 
you  weren't  one  of  them  once  yourself,  for  nobody 
will  believe  you. 

It  was  only  a  little  clod  the  gardener  held  in  his 
hand,  yet  he  wondered  at  it.  "  Why  do  you  smell  so 
sweet?"  he  asked;  and  the  answer  which  the  clod 
made  was  as  beautiful  as  it  was  humble — "  Because 
once  a  rose  grew  in  me."  Do  you  see  the  meaning? 
The  clod,  though  it  was  only  a  clod,  knew  how  to 
carry  about  with  it  always  the  sweetness  of  days  that 
were  gone,  and  so  it  was  always  sweet  itself.  Try  to 
do  the  same.  Forget  what  is  bad,  remember  what  is 
good,  and  you'll  never  grow  old  though  you  live  to 
the  age  of  Methuselah. 


"  WHEN  HE  COMETH." 

"They  shall  be  Mine,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts,  in  that  day  when  1 
make  up  My  jewels."— Mal.  iii.  17. 

"  When  He  cometh,  when  He  cometh  !  " — who  doesn't 
know  that  hymn?  Who  doesn't  love  it,  and  love  it 
best  of  all  when  tiny  wee  children  lisp  it  or  sing  it  ? 
There  is  a  lilt  about  it  and  a  tenderness,  like  the  songs 
the  birds  sing  when  the  sun  is  going  down — songs  that 
say,  "  Though  the  darkness  may  come  up  for  a  time, 
the  light  will  return  in  the  morning." 

There  is  such  a  longing  and  loving  in  it  all !  Away 
beyond  the  tossing  waves,  in  a  far-off  land,  there  is  a 
brave  young  fellow,  with  sunburnt  face  and  brawny 
arms,  working  with  a  will  from  sunrise  to  sunset.  It 
was  expedient  for  those  at  home  here  that  he  should  go 
away,  for  times  were  bad  with  them,  work  was  scarce, 
and  they  could  hardly  get  bread.  And  he  went  away, 
with  tears  in  his  eyes  and  a  big  lump  in  his  throat,  but 
determined  to  do  well  by  those  he  had  left  behind. 
And  he  did,  and  sent  them  help,  and  was  coming  back 
one  day  with  enough  for  them  all.  It  was  very  hard 
with  them  at  home  sometimes.    They  could  j  ust  manage 


214  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

to  get  on  when  the  winter  was  cold  and  the  ground  was 
hard,  and  work  was  scarce,  and  sickness  was  about. 
But  they  were  cheerful,  cheerful,  wondrously  cheerful, 
for  there  was  one  song  that  was  never  for  long  away 
from  their  hearts.     It  was  this :  "  When  he  cometh, 

when  he  cometh !  "     You  see,  they  were  living  in 

hope.  They  believed  in  the  brave  young  heart  that  had 
gone  away  for  them,  and  they  were  always  looking  for 
the  ship  with  the  silver  sails  that  would  bring  him  back 
again,  and  then — no  more  hunger,  no  more  cold,  no 
more  faintness  or  pinch  or  want.  What  was  it  that 
kept  up  their  hearts  ?     It  was  Hope  ! 

And  that  is  the  music  of  a  song  like  this  and  the 
words  that  make  it.  It  is  Hope,  bright  Hope,  that 
trembles  and  sparkles  through  it  all.  "  They  shall  be 
Mine,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts,"  when  He  cometh. 
"  Mine,  My  own,  My  very  own — My  jewels  !  " 

Learn,  children,  to  sing  that  song,  and  sing  it  with 
meaning — sing  it  with  Hope.  If  there  is  anything 
that  can  make  the  heart  glad  and  the  life  strong  and 
beautiful,  it  is  having  something  good  and  bright  and 
gladsome  to  look  forward  to.  And  what  can  be  better 
than  this :  when  all  is  over  and  done  here,  when  our 
day's  work  is  finished,  and  we  have  to  say  good-bye  to 
everybody,  because  we  are  going  away — away — out  of 
this  world  altogether — that  then — then — this  should 
be  our  sure  comfort — the  Lord  will  keep  us,  the  Lord 
will  take  care  of  us,  for  we  are  His  ?  "  They  shall  be 
Mine ! "     Then,  if  we  belong  to  the  Lord,   who  can 


"  IV HEN  HE  COMETH''  215 


hurt  ns  ?  What  can  harm  us  ?  Nothing !  No  one  ! 
The  Lord  is  Almighty :  none  can  snatch  away  from 
Him  what  is  His  own. 

Are  you  His,  ray  boy  ?  Are  you  His,  my  girl  ? 
There  is  only  one  way  of  being  His,  and  that  is  by 
giving  one's  self  altogether  to  Jesus.  Have  you  done 
that  ?  Have  you  asked  Him  to  take  you  and  make 
you  His  very  own?  If  you  have,  then  you  are  one 
of  God's  jewels. 

Keep  this  in  mind,  and  it  will  explain  a  lot.  Nothing 
gets  more  cuts  and  rubs  than  a  jewel  does.  There  is 
not  much  beauty  about  a  diamond  at  first.  If  you 
didn't  know  better,  you  would  most  likely  toss  it  away. 
But  how  careful  men  are  about  it  when  they  know  it 
to  be  a  diamond  !  And  the  first  thing  they  do  is  to 
cut  it !  Yes,  cut  it — cutting  away  all  the  black  stuff 
that  was  round  it,  and  that  was  keeping  back  the  light 
that  was  in  it.  And  it  is  all  very  puzzling  to  the 
diamond ;  if  this  is  kindness,  it  thinks,  the  kindness 
is  strange.  And  so  it  is  at  first ;  but  by-and-by,  when 
the  jewel  has  been  cut,  and  rubbed,  and  polished,  how 
brilliant  it  becomes !  how  beautiful !  It  is  set  in  the 
finest  gold  and  becomes  a  present  for  a  king. 

Yet  you  are  worth  more  than  all  the  diamonds  in  the 
world.  And  the  Lord  wants  to  make  you  and  shape 
you,  till  you  become  like  a  jewel  flashing  on  His  crown. 
So  He  must  do  with  you  as  men  do  with  the  diamond — 
give  you  many  a  rub,  and  many  a  stroke,  and  many 
a  deep  cutting  besides.     And  the  tears  will  come,  and 


2i6  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

you  will  sometimes  wonder  very  much  wliat  it  all  means. 
That  is  the  time  to  sing  the  song,  "  When  He  cometh, 

when  He  cometh !  "    For  then  all  will  be  explained, 

then  the  brightness  will  shine  out,  then  you  will  find 
there  was  love  in  it  all ;  it  was  because  you  were  His 
own,  His  very  own.  He  was  determined  to  make  the 
best  of  you  that  could  be  made. 

So  sing  the  song,  and  sing  it  in  your  heart,  and 
sing  it  all  your  days,  and  always  sing  it  with  a  loving, 
trustful  look  up  to  the  heavens — 

"  When  He  cometh,  when  He  cometh, 
To  make  up  His  jewels, — 

Like  the  stars  of  the  morning, 

His  bright  crown  adorning. 
They  shall  shine  in  their  beauty. 

Bright  gems  for  His  crown." 


LI 

AN  IMPROBABLE  STORY 

Perhaps  you  won't  like  it  any  the  worse'  for  being 
improbable.  Probable  stories  are  as  thick  as  black- 
berries in  September,  but  improbable  stories  are  as 
rare  as  swallows  in  winter.  There  is,  besides,  a  good 
deal  of  improbability  about  the  time  when  it  occurred. 
It  has  something  to  do  with  Christmas — if  you  can 
make  out  what  that  "  something  "  is — yet  it  was  in 
the  high  summer-time  that  the  thing  happened.  But 
when  is  Christmas  done  ?  Not  before  next  Christmas. 
When  is  it  begun  ?  Last  Christmas,  and  the  Christmas 
before  that,  and  the  one  before  that  again.  "  Christmas 
comes  but  once  a  year,"  but  it  comes — or  should  come 
— to  let  its  spirit  linger  with  us  through  all  the  year. 
This  is  the  story :  if  it  reads  like  a  riddle,  the  sharper 
minds  will  like  it  the  better  for  having  to  think  twice 
to  make  it  out. 

Frankie  was  a  choir-boy,  and  as  good  as  they  make 
them.  It  was  a  very  hot  afternoon  when  he  was  left 
to  keep  house  because  his  mother  and  sister  were 
paying  some  visits.  He  had  amused  himself  with  one 
thing   and  another,  and  at  last  had  tried  a  stave  or 


2i8  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

two  of  a  curious  Christmas  carol  lie  had  found  in  an 
old  book  kicked  out  of  its  place  under  the  leg  of  a 
side-table,  where  it  was  put  to  keep  things  steady. 
But  some  of  the  words  were  odd — half-Frenchy.  Some 
of  the  notes  were  difficult,  and  with  an  impatient  jerk 
he  tossed  the  book  down  and — upset  his  whole  case 
of  silkworms !  What  a  panic  there  was  amongst  the 
creatures !  There  they  were,  wriggling  and  writhing 
in  all  manner  of  frantic  contortions,  and  do  what  he 
would,  he  could  not  stop  their  agitation.  With  a 
feather  he  carefully  replaced  them  all,  speaking  soothing 
words  the  while,  but  his  voice  only  seemed  to  frighten 
them  the  more ;  perhaps  they  thought  it  was  thunder 
— thunder  following  a  kind  of  earthquake !  Frank 
was  sorry ;  he  was  fond  of  his  worms ;  he  had  reared 
them  year  after  year,  and  had  given  every  one  its  own 
name — or  rather  the  name  of  some  deacon  in  the  chapel 
or  master  in  the  school — and  it  was  very  remarkable 
how  well  the  names  and  the  natures  seemed  to  fit 
one  another,  even  when  fixed  on  these  creepy,  crawly 
things.  So  much  for  what's  in  a  name !  It  was  no 
use  calling  them  by  name  now,  however ;  the  things 
were  clearly  frightened,  and  Frankie  felt  how  helpless 
he  was  to  assure  them  of  his  goodwill.  If  he  could 
only  get  them  to  understand ! 

He  had  thrown  himself  down  on  the  couch  to  think 
the  thing  over,  which  means  that  he  soon  fell  asleep. 
And  then  the  rosy  cloud  hovered  before  him,  and  though 
he  could  not  see  who  was  in  it,  he  could  hear  the  voice. 


AN  IMPROBABLE  STORY  219 


And  when  the  voice  asked,  he  answered  and  said  he 
would  like  above  everything  to  be  able  to  comfort  the 
silkworms.  Then  a  hand  came  forth  from  the  rosy- 
cloud  and  touched  his  brow,  and  the  spot  gleamed  like 
a  fair,  soft  star.  When  the  star  shone,  said  the  voice, 
he  would  be  able  to  return  again  as  he  went. 

Before  Frank  had  time  to  guess  what  was  meant 
he  found  himself  in  the  case  with  the  silkworms.  But, 
strangest  of  all,  he  was  now  one  himself!  A  tiny 
spark  of  light  glowed  from  his  head ;  nothing  like  it 
was  in  any  other.  As  he  glided  along  he  came  upon 
some  worms  that  were  eagerly  gathering  into  little 
heaps  every  scrap  of  mulberry-leaf  they  could  find; 
they  were  the  anxious  ones,  always  living  in  dread 
of  perishing  for  want  of  food.  He  assured  them  there 
was  no  need  for  their  anxiety;  he  was  their  master, 
and  would  see  that  they  had  all  that  they  needed  day 
by  day.  But  they  hardly  gave  him  a  glance,  let  alone 
listened,  they  were  so  anxiously  searching  about.  But 
some  again  were  rude  and  wild,  and  stole  what  the 
others  had  gathered,  and  fought  against  them  and  bit 
them.  And  when  Frank  said  "  Shame ! "  and  bid 
them  be  gentle,  they  turned  on  him  and  attacked 
him  fiercely.  They  never  saw  the  light  that  was 
glowing  from  him ;  they  were  so  blinded  with  passion. 
He  had  barely  escaped  when  he  came  upon  some  who 
were  lying  very  still  and  looking  very  sad.  They  were 
about  to  die,  they  explained ;  in  a  little  while  they 
would  weave  their  silken  shrouds  round  about  them. 


220  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

and  then  they  would  be  no  more.  Frankie  tried  to 
comfort  them.  They  would  not  die,  he  said;  they 
would  only  sleep  and  swoon  away — swoon  away  into 
a  beautiful  butterfly,  with  wings  of  amber  and  gold, 
to  flit  through  the  sunny  air  from  flower  to  flower, 
over  scented  fields.  These  listened  to  him ;  they  saw 
the  light,  and  they  asked  him  to  tell  them  more, 
and  his  words  were  sweeter  than  music  to  them 
against  the  time  when  they  would  have  to  shape  their 
shrouds.  But  the  wild  and  wicked  ones  returned  and 
mocked  him,  and  then  they  grew  angrier  and  angrier 
still,  and  closed  round  him,  and  together  they  attacked 
him  fiercely. 

When  he  awoke  he  arose  from  the  couch  and  leaned 
very  long  and  very  thoughtfully  over  his  case  of  silk- 
worms. There  was  many  a  curious  thought  going  on 
in  his  mind,  which,  being  only  a  boy,  he  could  not  very 
well  express.  But  at  last  he  took  up  very  reverently 
the  book  he  had  so  impatiently  tossed  away,  and  he 
found  the  carol,  and  found  he  could  sing  it,  too,  for 
it  wasn't  so  difficult  now  as  it  had  been  before. 

And  that  is  the  improbable  story.  Whatever  can  it 
mean  ? 


LII 
DICKY  BOY 

"The  star,  which  they  saw  in  the  east,  went  before  them,  till  it 
came  and  stood  over  where  the  young  child  was." — Matt,  ii.  9. 

This  was  long,  long  ago,  and  they  were  great  men, 
wise  men,  rich  men,  who  came  out  of  the  land  w^here 
Abraham  was  born,  and  came  into  the  land  where 
Abraham  lived,  and  came  by  the  light  of  the  Star-beam 
to  Mary  and  Joseph — and  Jesus. 

I  can't  tell  you  much  more  about  these  men,  for 
there  isn't  very  much  more  told  us ;  but  I  can  tell  you 
about  Dicky  Boy,  and  it  is  all  about  him  I  am  going 
to  write. 

He  lived  down  Bermondsey  way,  and  lived  in  a 
stable.  You  would  think  from  this  that  he  was  a 
horse  or  an  ass,  but  he  wasn't  the  one  or  the  other. 
Dicky  Boy  was  a  boy,  and  he  was  eight  years  old  at 
that  business ;  but  he  lived  in  a  stable  all  the  same, 
his  mother  and  he  together,  up  in  a  hayloft ;  but  there 
was  a  partition  made  with  old  boards  between  where 
the  hay  was  kept  and  their  dining-room,  and  drawing- 
room,  and  kitchen,  and  bedroom,  for  they  were  all  one. 
There  were  three   stalls  in  the   stable   below,   where 


222  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

three  ponies  were  kept,  but  the  three  ponies  were 
seldom  for  long  at  home  together;  they  were  like 
three-volume  novels  at  a  seaside  place — when  the  one 
was  in  the  others  were  out,  and  when  the  others 
were  in  the  one  was  out — you  seldom  got  the  set 
complete.  What  their  business  was  doesn't  matter; 
they  came  and  went  at  all  hours,  and  it  was  needful 
that  somebody  should  be  about  to  open  the  door  when 
the  dogcarts  came  back,  and  so  Dicky  Boy's  mother  had 
that  apartment  given  to  her  upstairs  next  door  to  the 
hay,  and  she  had  it  rent  free  for  minding  the  door. 

It  was  a  queer  little  bunk  of  a  place.  A  tall  man 
could  stand  straight  up  in  the  middle,  but  only  a  very 
little  child  could  stand  up  at  the  wall  where  the 
window  was ;  for  the  roof  sloped  down  three  different 
ways,  and  there  was  just  wall  enough  for  a  little 
window  on  one  side.  Away  in  the  darkest  corner 
there  was  a  bed  on  the  floor,  and  in  the  opposite 
corner  there  was  a  kind  of  table  with  dishes  and  things, 
and  in  the  middle  was  the  fireplace  over  against  the 
partition.  That  partition  was  beautifully  papered  with 
newspapers,  and  a  picture  of  an  execution,  and  one 
long  coloured  strip  of  the  Lord  Mayor's  Show.  That 
picture  used  to  be  Dicky's  delight;  if  the  procession 
had  ever  got  mixed,  T)icky  could  have  put  it  all 
together  again,  for  he  knew  exactly  where  the  band 
should  be,  and  the  trumpeters,  and  which  coach  came 
first  and  which  was  last — he  had  got  it  all  by  heart. 

But  one  day  there  was  an  event  in  the  hayloft  which 


DICKY  BOY  223 


gave  a  new  joy  to  Dicky.  Mother  had  gone  round 
to  the  chandler's  for  a  loaf,  and  when  she  came  back 
she  had  a  picture  with  her.  It  ivas  a  picture,  and  no 
mistake  ;  and  when  it  was  pinned  up  on  the  partition 
it  made  the  place  quite  gorgeous.  What  a  sight !  and 
what  colouring!  A  great  yellow  desert,  stretching 
away  to  a  golden  Star  that  was  making  long  shadows 
to  half-a-dozen  pyramids  in  the  distance,  while  a 
number  of  men,  with  turbans  and  cloaks  and  camels, 
were  gazing  on  the  Star  and  travelling  towards  it. 
Oh,  it  was  a  beautiful  picture !  And  underneath  it 
was  the  text,  "The  Star  went  before  them,"  and  then 
in  fine  big  letters  came  the  words,  "  Muggins'  Mustard 
is  THE  BEST."  Dicky  could  not  read,  but  he  soon  knew 
the  words  by  heart,  for  mother  told  him;  and  the 
yellow  desert,  they  both  agreed,  had  something  to  do 
with  Muggins'  mustard.  But  that  didn't  signify. 
There  was  "the  Star  that  went  before  them,"  and 
there  were  the  men  and  their  camels  following  it. 

Dicky  could  not  get  that  Star  out  of  his  head,  and 
many  a  talk  mother  and  he  had  over  it  when  she  sat 
at  the  little  table  sewing ;  for  she  sewed  a  great  deal, 
mother  did,  both  by  the  window-light  and  by  candle- 
light— she  was  always  sewing.  And  Dicky  was  never 
tired  of  asking  questions  and  hearing  about  that  Star, 
and  somehow  or  other  all  that  they  said  always  came 
round  to  the  same  thing;  they  both  agreed  that 
"there's  a  deal  of  good  to  be  got  by  following  the 
Star,"     That  was  a  remark  that  got  into  Dicky's  head 


224  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

too — got  in  almost  as  far  as  the  Star  itself — and 
whatever  else  he  was  sure  of,  or  whatever  else  he 
didi''t  know,  ho  was  sure  of  this,  that  "there's  a  deal 
of  good  to  be  got  by  following  the  Star.'' 

Mother's  cough  had  been  very  troublesome,  and 
when  the  snow  began  to  fall,  and  the  frost  had  made 
the  roads  slippery  for  the  ponies,  her  cough  grew  worse 
and  worse,  till  sometimes  she  had  scarcely  any  breath 
left  in  her  poor  thin  body.  But  her  eyes  were  always 
so  bright — as  bright,  Dicky  thought,  as  the  Star — and 
sometimes  there  was  such  a  red,  red  spot  on  her  cheek. 
And  she  had  to  take  to  her  bed  oftener,  and  Dicky  had 
oftener  to  get  up  in  the  night  and  open  the  door  for 
the  ponies.  One  night  he  had  slipped  down  in  the 
dark  to  do  this,  and  when  he  crept  upstairs  again,  he 
found  the  candle  lighted  and  mother  out  of  bed. 
"Come  here,  Dicky  Boy,"  she  said;  "I  want  you  to 
kneel  down  with  me  before  the  Star."  And  the  two 
together,  their  arms  round  one  another,  knelt  down 
there,  while  mother  sobbed  and  prayed.  Then  she 
kissed  him  on  the  brow — oh,  such  a  long,  kind  kiss ! 
"  Dicky  dear,"  she  said,  "  I  am  going  away — away  to 
follow  the  Star;  and  you  will  promise  me  one  thing, 
won't  you? — that  you  will  follow  the  Star  too.  Oh, 
there  is  such  a  deal  of  good  to  be  got  by  following  the 
Star ! "  Dicky  didn't  answer  her ;  he  didn't  know 
what  to  say;  and  they  lay  down  together  again  to 
sleep.  She  slept  so  long,  mother  did,  that  though 
Dicky  had  gone  up  and  down  twice  to  open  the  door. 


DICKY  BOY  22$ 


she  hadn't  awoke.  He  had  got  a  cup  of  tea  ready  for 
her  at  the  little  fire,  and  had  waited,  waited ;  and  at 
last  he  called  her,  so  quietly  and  gently ;  but  she  still 
slept  on.  Then  he  took  her  hand,  and  it  was  so  cold ; 
and  he  kissed  her,  but  her  lips  were  cold  too ;  and  he 
got  frightened,  and  began  to  cry,  and  went  downstairs 
to  the  man  who  was  grooming  the  pony,  and  asked 
him  if  he  would  come  upstairs  and  waken  mother. 
And  the  man  went  up,  and  when  he  came  down  he 
had  a  strange  look  on  his  face. 

"  You  come  with  me,"  he  said  kindly,  taking  Dicky's 
hand  in  his  own  big  rough  one,  and  leading  nim  out. 

"  Is  mother  awake  ?  "  Dicky  asked. 

"  Ay,  ay,"  said  the  man  in  a  thick,  kind  voice,  "  she's 
awake  enough  ;  she's  better  now." 

And  that  was  the  last  Dicky  saw  of  his  mother. 
Bridget  O'Halloran,  the  Irishwoman  down  the  lane, 
with  the  six  children  and  the  loud,  scolding  voice 
took  Dicky  into  her  house,  and  he  slept  with  the 
"  childer,"  and  got  scolded  with  them  too ;  but  some- 
how Bridget's  eyes  would  fill  with  tears  as  she  scolded 
him  (it  was  all  through  the  weather,  she  said),  and  it 
was  because  he  was  such  a  weak  bit  of  a  boy  that  she 
always  let  him  have  the  biggest  share. 

Little  by  little  Dicky  found  out  that  his  mother 
was  dead.  But  nobody  could  tell  him  where  she  was 
buried.  The  O'Halloran  children  had  seen  a  black 
coach  go  from  a  neighbour's  house,  and  it  went  that 
way ;   that  was  all  they  knew.     And  that  way  Dicky 


226  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

went  too.  He  didn't  know  why  his  little  heart  was 
like  a  stone ;  he  never  saw  the  crowds,  nor  heard 
the  rumble  and  the  noise ;  he  just  knew  one  thing — 
mother  had  gone  that  way,  and  mother  had  gone  to 
follow  the  Star,  and  mother  wanted  him  to  follow  it 
too,  and  he  did  want  to  see  mother  again.  It's  such 
a  poor  little  world,  this  of  ours,  when  mother's  away ! 

But  what  with  the  turnings  and  the  twistings,  he 
got  lost  at  last.  He  would  need  to  ask  his  way.  So 
he  looked  at  people's  faces,  watching  for  a  kind  one, 
and  found  one,  a  big  sailor,  rigged  out  in  a  new 
suit  that  didn't  fit  him,  and  with  such  a  big  ipipe  in 
his  mouth. 

"If  you  please,  sir,"  said  Dicky,  "can  you  tell  me 
the  way  to  the  East  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  never !  "  said  the  big  fellow,  lifting  his 
eyebrows.  "What  an  insult!  A  little  chit  like  you 
to  suppose  I  never  learnt  to  box  the  compass,  and  me 
been  round  the  world  a  dozen  times !  Could  I  tell 
you  the  way  to  the  East  ?  Why,  that's  good  !  "  And 
he  took  such  a  hearty  guffaw  as  if  the  thing  were  the 
best  joke  he  had  heard. 

"Beg  your  pardon,  sir,"  said  Dicky  timidly,  "but 
I  didn't  mean  no  harm." 

"And  no  more  you've  done  it,"  said  the  sailor. 
"  But  what  do  you  want  to  know  the  way  to  the  East 
for?" 

"  'Cause  the  Star's  there,"  said  Dicky,  "  and  mother's 
gone  after  the  Star." 


DICKY  BOY  227 


"  Has  she  ?  Well,  she  must  be  a  bright  'un ! 
What  kind  of  star  has  she  gone  after  ?  " 

"  It's  the  Star  that  leads  to  Jesus — 'The  Star  which 
went  before  them,'  "  Dicky  eagerly  said. 

*'  Look  here,  my  lad,"  said  the  sailor,  turning 
grave,  "you  stow  all  that,  will  you?  Fun's  fun,  but 
you  shan't  speak  of  Jesus  that  way.  Where's  your 
mother?" 

"I  don't  know,"  said  Dicky  sadly;  "but  she's  dead, 
and  gone  after  the  Star,  and  I'm  going  to  follow  it 
too." 

"I  can't  make  you  out,  youngster,"  said  the  sailor 
gently,  "  but  you  look  a  good  boy,  and  your  mother's 
dead.  All  right ;  here's  something  for  you,  and  that's 
the  East ; "  and  he  put  some  coppers  into  Dicky's 
hand,  and  jerked  with  his  thumb  over  his  shoulder 
and  walked  away,  but  only  to  stop  and  look  back,  and 
look  back  again,  and  then  stand  looking  very  thought- 
fully after  Dicky  till  the  boy  disappeared.  Then, 
taking  the  pipe  from  his  mouth,  and  knocking  the 
ashes  out  on  his  heel,  the  sailor  pulled  himself  straight, 
buttoned  his  coat,  and  went  off  at  a  quick  step,  as  if 
to  do  something  he  had  made  up  his  mind  for. 

But  Dicky  went  on — on  and  on — street  after  street, 
road  over  road,  this  side  and  that  side,  like  a  little 
doggie  that  had  lost  his  master,  till  he  came  to  the 
river  down  Deptford  way.  It  was  getting  so  dark 
now,  and  the  river  looked  so  cold,  and  its  banks  were 
so  ugly,  that  he  was  glad  to  find  a  snug  spot  near  the 


228       THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

wharf  where  some  bales  were  waiting  to  be  shipped, 
and  he  crept  among  them  for  warmth  and  shelter. 
Presently  a  young  man  came  near,  shivering  with 
cold,  and  looking  wretched  in  the  fading  light.  He 
had  a  look  about  him  of  a  clerk  who  had  been 
gambling  with  his  master's  money ;  bat  Dicky  didn't 
know  what  a  'clerk  was,  or  gambling  either.  The 
man  walked  several  times  down  to  the  edge  of  the 
water,  and  then  came  slowly,  hesitatingly  back;  but 
at  last  he  took  a  paper  and  pencil  from  his  pocket, 
and  going  up  to  one  of  the  bales  where  Dicky  was, 
began  to  write.  Just  then  Dicky  moved,  and  the  man 
got  such  a  fright ! 

" I  beg  your  pardon,  sir,"  said  Dicky  ;  "I  did't  mean 
to  frighten  you." 

"  What    are   you    doing   there  ? "   the    man    asked 
sharply. 

"I  was  just  resting  a  bit,"  said  the  boy,  "before 
going  on  again." 

"  Going  on  where  ?  " 

"To  the  East." 

"  To  the  East  ?    What  East  ?  " 

"I  don't  know,  sir,"  said  Dicky.  "It's  the  East 
where  the  Star  is." 

"What  Star?" 

"  The  one  as  leads  to  Jesus.  '  The  Star  went  before 
them,' "  he  said  simply,  as  if  that  explained  every- 
thing; "and  mother's  dead,  and  gone  after  the  Star 
to  Jesus." 


DICKY  BOY  229 


The  man  looked  suspiciously  at  the  boy  for  a  moment, 
and  then  without  a  word  turned  on  his  heel  and  walked 
away. 

And  Dicky  went  on  too,  farther  on,  always  to  the 
East,  but  as  near  to  the  river  as  he  could ;  for  when 
the  Star  came  out,  he  thought  he  would  see  it  best 
there.  But  it  got  too  dark  at  last,  and  he  crept 
under  an  arch  that  looked  on  the  river,  and,  as  it 
was  half  boarded  up,  he  found  a  nice  corner  out  of 
the  cold,  biting  wind,  and  was  soon  asleep.  He  was 
wakened,  however,  by  something  cold  touching  his 
face,  and  when  he  put  out  his  hands  to  find  what  it 
was,  he  found  a  little  thin  cur  of  a  dog,  that  shivered 
and  licked  his  face,  and  cuddled  in  close  beside  him  ; 
tucking  his  jacket  over  it,  he  fell  asleep  again.  But 
it  wasn't  very  long  before  he  was  roused  once  more, 
and  this  time  it  was  with  a  fright,  as  if  a  sack  of 
rags  had  fallen  on  him,  and  when  he  wriggled  about 
and  cried  out,  the  bundle  got  up — a  half-tipsy  woman  ! 
She  dragged  Dicky  to  the  entrance  of  the  arch,  looked 
at  him  in  the  clear  moonlight,  and  Dicky  looked  at  her. 
She  was  a  poor  creature — a  poor,  sad  creature. 

"What  are  you  doing  here,"  she  asked,  "tripping 
up  people  like  that  ?  " 

"I  was  just  sleeping,"  he  said;  '"I  didn't  know 
'twere  your  house." 

"  Oh,  didn't  you  ?  "  she  said,  with  a  mocking  laugh. 
"Didn't  you  see  my  name  on  the  brass  plate  at  the 
door  ?    What  are  you  after  ?  " 


230  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

"I'm  after  the  Star,"  said  Dicky,  "the  Star  that 
leads  to  Jesus." 

And  then  he  told  her  all  about  it,  as  he  had  to  the 
others. 

"  My  boy,"  said  the  woman  hoarsely,  when  he  was 
done,  "I  can't  make  out  all  that  you  mean,  but  you 
are  right  about  the  Star.  I  went  after  it  once  myself, 
and  then  I  had  a  good  home,  and  a  good  husband  and 
children,  but  I  lost  sight  of  the  Star  and  took  to  drink, 
and  I  have  lost  everything  since — everything ;  "  and 
she  flung  herself  down  in  the  corner  and  would  not 
speak  more,  though  Dicky  thought  he  heard  her 
sobbing. 

He  could  not  sleep  any  more.  A  strong  feeling 
came  on  him  to  run  away,  and  he  slipped  out  in  the 
moonlight,  and  ran  and  ran,  with  the  little  cur  yelping 
for  joy  round  about  him.  On  and  on  and  on — on 
through  the  grey  of  the  morning,  on  through  the  light 
of  the  noon,  on  to  the  gathering  dark  he  trudged,  with 
a  strange  feeling  like  fire  within  him,  while  all  was 
frosty  without,  till  he  came  where  some  fishing-smacks 
were  drawn  up  on  the  beach.  Against  one  of  them 
was  a  ladder,  and  he  went  up,  hardly  knowing  why — 
went  up  with  the  little  cur  in  his  arm,  and  down  into 
the  little  cabin,  and  there  lay  on  the  floor,  spent  and 
weary,  but  with  a  strange  burning  feeling  in  his  head, 
though  he  was  shivering  all  over. 

What  a  dream  he  had  that  night !  He  saw  again 
the  sailor  man  who  had  told  him  the  way  to  the  East, 


DICKY  BOY  231 


and  saw  bad  angels  gathering  round  him  and  drawing 
him  away,  till  a  Star  shone  out,  and  the  man  shook 
himself  free.  And  he  saw  once  more  the  young  man 
he  met  at  the  river's  brink,  looking  bright  and  glad 
as  he  spoke  of  the  Star  that  had  saved  him  from 
death.  And  he  saw  a  bright  fireside,  with  children, 
their  faces  ruddy  in  the  firelight,  and  a  broad-chested, 
manly-looking  man,  and  a  woman,  the  woman  the 
children  were  gathered  round,  the  same  woman  he 
had  seen  at  the  arch  in  the  moonlight.  ''  It  was  that 
word  about  the  Star  that  did  it,"  she  said.  And  he 
saw  the  sky  grow  dark  and  dark,  all  but  where  a  Star 
shone ;  but  the  Star  grew  brighter  and  brighter,  and 
came  nearer  and  nearer,  and  brighter  and  nearer  still, 
till  its  light  filled  up  everything,  and  right  in  the 
midst  of  the  light  there  was  One  with  a  crown  of  gold 
on  His  head,  with  a  kind,  sweet  face,  a  face  that  was 
somehow  something  like  mother's,  and  He  stooped 
and  kissed  the  boy,  and  then  he  remembered  no  more. 
t  In  the  morning  some  fishermen  heard  the  dog 
barking  on  the  boat,  and  when  they  tried  to  whistle 
it  off  or  catch  it,  it  always  went  back  towards  the 
cabin.  And  one  went  up  and  looked  in,  and  saw 
Dicky  there.  They  lifted  him  gently  out,  these  rough, 
strong  men  with  the  fatherly  hearts,  and  carried 
him  to  the  little  inn.  A  motherly  soul  was  the  inn- 
keeper's wife,  and  day  and  night  she  nursed  the  boy 
through  his  fever — ay,  and  with  God's  blessing  she 
brought  him  round  at  last. 


232  THE  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

Dicky's  a  man  now.  He  has  been  round  the  world 
again  and  again  before  the  mast,  but  has  come  to 
anchor,  as  he  says,  on  the  East  coast.  Down  there 
is  the  village  of  Orossford,  where  the  shore  is  wild 
and  rugged.  When  you  go  there  next  time,  stroll 
down  by  the  little  house  on  the  beach,  where  the 
lifeboat  is  kept,  and  you  will  see  a  notice  stuck  up, 
"  For  the  key,  apply  to  Eichard  Boy,  Captain  of  the 
Lifeboat."  That's  what  he  is  now — a  brave,  God- 
fearing man,  who  goes  out  with  his  crew  in  the  wildest 
weather,  when  a  ship  has  struck,  and  some  lives  may 
be  saved.  "  It's  the  finest  work  in  the  world,"  he  says, 
"  this  saving  work  ;  for  as  long  as  there  is  somebody 
you  are  trying  to  save,  you  are  sure  to  be  following 
the  Star." 

Yes,  that  is  the  story  of  Dicky  Boy.  If  it  can  tell  us 
anything,  it  can  tell  us  this,  that  you  can  never  follow 
the  Star  that  leads  to  Jesus,  you  can  never  follow  the 
truth  and  do  what  is  right  because  you  love  the  Lord 
and  want  to  be  His,  but  even  when  you  are  least  aware 
of  it,  you  are  bound  to  be  doing  good.  That  Star  that 
"  went  before  them  "  left  a  long  bright  track  in  the 
sky,  and  your  life  and  mine,  and  everybody's  life,  can 
do  the  same  as  we  follow  on,  and  still  follow  on,  to 
know  the  Lord.  All  your  days  be  sure  of  this :  "  There's 
a  deal  of  good  to  be  got  by  following  the  Star." 


LlII 

A  NEW  START 

"One  to  be  ready,  two  to  be  steady,  three  to  be  off, 
and — away ! "  That's  the  start,  and  we  are  getting 
it  now.  A  new  year,  a  new  chance  for  a  new  life 
and  a  better  one ;  toe  the  line ! 

Race  fair.  No  tricks.  Never  "foul."  Make  up 
your  mind  that  in  all  the  coming  year  you  will  never 
"  foul  "  your  neighbour,  never  willingly  get  in  his  way 
so  as  to  keep  him  back.  Dodging  is  not  running.  If 
somebody  else  is  doing  better  than  you,  give  him 
room.  Don't  tell  stories  about  him,  or  hurt  his  char- 
acter, or  hinder  his  work.  The  world  is  big  enough 
for  us  all,  and  before  the  race  is  done  some  who  were 
ahead  will  be  behind,  and  more's  the  pity ;  but  more 
will  be  the  pity  still  if  you  have  been  the  one  to 
weaken  him  in  the  way.  Kace  fair ;  a  good  conscience 
and  a  kind  heart  are  better  in  the  end  than  cups  of 
gold. 

Expect  hindrances.     Some  you   will  have  to  meet 

from  without — hard  tasks,  weary  bits,   rough  places. 

Hush  them.      Most  are  only  bogies ;    they  disappear 

when  you  make  a  bold  dash  for  them. 

233 


234  T^HB  CHILDREN'S  PREACHER 

But  your  chief  hindrances  will  come  from  yourself. 
You  will  get  tired ;  people  can  become  weary  even  in 
well-doing.  The  road  will  sometimes  seem  very  un- 
interesting, and  parts  of  it  will  be  lonely.  Then, 
though  you  mean  well,  as  likely  as  not  you  won't  run 
well,  but  you  won't  suspect  it  yourself.  What  you 
shall  need  then  is  some  one  to  "give  you  the  pace." 
Do  you  understand?  When  a  runner  is  growing 
tired,  he  naturally  slackens  his  rate ;  but  if  he  is  left 
to  himself  he  may  not  find  this  out,  for  he  can't  go 
back  and  measure  the  rate  he  went  at  the  first.  So 
another  runner,  who  is  fresh,  goes  ahead  of  him,  or 
runs  by  his  side  to  keep  him  up  to  it. 

Ah,  children,  children  !  it's  a  long  run  from  New 
Year  to  New  Year.  Many  shall  faint  and  fail,  and 
many  who  toed  the  line  along  with  you  shall  have 
dropped  from  the  running  for  ever  before  the  winning- 
post  is  in  sight.  Do  not  take  the  pace,  then,  from  any 
boy  or  girl,  man  or  woman.  There  is  but  One  who  is 
always  fresh,  always  faithful,  always  helpful — Jesus 
Christ.  "  Let  us  run  with  patience  the  race  that  is 
set  before  us,  looking  unto  Jesus. ^^  Take  the  pace  from 
Him,  start  fair,  keep  Him  ever  before  you,  and  you 
shall  win.     But  only  so. 

There  are  many  things  you  think  you  will  need  for 
a  long  race.  Well,  take  them  with  you  if  you  can, 
but  do  not  carry  more  than  you  must.  Leave  to- 
morrow's troubles  till  to-morrow  has  come.  A  great 
many   people   tire  themselves   out   by   climbing   hills 


A  NEW  START  235 


before  they  reach  them !  It  is  enough  just  now  to 
carry  what  Jesus  gives  you  to  carry  to-day.  Don't 
load  up  either  with  last  year's  failures.  They  were 
plentiful  enough,  I  have  no  doubt,  and  sad  enough 
too,  but  let  the  dead  year  bury  its  dead.  What 
you  have  to  do  is  to  seek  for  life,  and  for  life  more 
and  more  abundantly,  and  you  can't  do  that  if  you 
load  up  with  old  mistakes  and  failings.  Ask  the 
Lord  to  forgive  all  these,  and  then  —  leave  them. 
Forget  the  things  that  are  behind,  and  go  on  and  go 
up.  Lay  in  a  stock  of  patience :  that  is  the  condensed 
extract  of  everything  else  you  shall  need.  Patience  ! 
step  over  step,  step  over  step — steady !  It's  dogged 
does  it.  And  hope!  always  expect  to  find  something 
good  just  round  the  next  corner ;  expect  sunshine  after 
rain,  and  a  smile  after  a  frown.  Patience  and  Hope  : 
if  these  are  in  your  kit,  and  you  are  looking  unto  Jesus, 
you  will  make  for  yourself  what  I  wish  for  you  all — 
a  Happy  New  Year. 


THE   END 


Printed  by  Ballantyne,  Hanson  &  Co. 
Edittburgh  and  London 


Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Libraries 


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